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Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!
by
Fannie Flagg
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! is the funny, serious, and compelling new novel by Fannie Flagg, author of the beloved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (and prize-winning co-writer of the classic movie).
Once again, Flagg's humor and respect and affection for her characters shine forth. Many inhabit small-town or suburban America. But this time, her heroine is...more
Once again, Flagg's humor and respect and affection for her characters shine forth. Many inhabit small-town or suburban America. But this time, her heroine is...more
Paperback, 512 pages
Published
June 22nd 2011
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1998)
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This book was a bit disappointing to me considering the title and the homespun appeal of it's author. I started it over Christmas break and didn't finish it until Feb. break and then I was bound and determined to be done with it. I enjoyed the characters in the small town in Missouri, as well as the sorority sister in Alabama- even thought they were such stereotypes. The main character, Dena Norstrom, I found unspympathetic even though she is not unlikable. I found it unrealistic that her psychi...more
I don't have much experience with Flagg, but I know she is a rather celebrated writer who captures Southern flavor with a charm that is most effective. I've read a short story or two and know her style to be quietly ironic and wonderfully colorful. In this full length work, however, I kept wishing she would keep her day job.
The novel starts off promising - Flagg is in her element, piecing together a patchwork quilt of Southern personalities as inviting as the warmth they exude, painting d...more
The novel starts off promising - Flagg is in her element, piecing together a patchwork quilt of Southern personalities as inviting as the warmth they exude, painting d...more
For years my mother has been suggesting that I read Fannie Flagg's writing and I just never got around to it. Then one day I was watching some old episodes of "Match Game" on the Game Show Network and I realized there she was - Fannie Flagg herself. I remembered watching her on that show as a child in the 1970s but I never connected her with the renowned author of today. So this is when I decided to pick up the copy of "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl" that my mom had lent me...more
Another great book by Fannie Flagg. My dad actually suggested I read this since he had enjoyed it and one of the main characters is involved in the broadcasting industry...but really, that's only a small part of what it's all about! A good read for those who like fiction about small town America set earlier in the 20th century. If you enjoy this book, don't miss Fannie Flagg's Standing in the Rainbow, which is set in the same town and gives a lot of background on some of the characters.
Fannie Flagg es la autora de mi libro favorito de siempre, Tomates Verdes Fritos. Teniendo esto en cuenta, no sĂ© cĂłmo habĂa tardado tanto en leer otro libro suyo. Y me alegro de haber cogido Ă©ste en vacaciones, porque asĂ lo he disfrutado como es debido.
“Bienvenida a este mundo, pequeña” tiene muchos puntos en común con “Tomates verdes fritos”, como es la narración saltando a lo largo del tiempo, personajes secundarios fuertes que abrazan y dan coherencia a los principales, el tipo de ...more
“Bienvenida a este mundo, pequeña” tiene muchos puntos en común con “Tomates verdes fritos”, como es la narración saltando a lo largo del tiempo, personajes secundarios fuertes que abrazan y dan coherencia a los principales, el tipo de ...more
This book was a timely read for me, and I absolutely loved it. It is by far my favorite book I have read by this author. It is a story about coming of age, and coming to terms with the past. Cliched themes perhaps, but there is nothing cliche about his book. The characters brought to life on the pages are so vivid that you will love and hate them as surely as you recognize their traits in your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors. It started a bit slow, but once I got into it, I couldn...more
Dena Nordstrom is a rising star but her career as a television newscaster in the dog-eat-dog, nasty, dirt-digging news business and the hectic pace of New York City life are also leading her to alcoholism and an ulcer. Her doctor refers her to a psychiatrist and she must begin to look at her past. There is a mystery about her mother which she doesn’t want to face. She also avoids her simple, homey, naïve, and sometimes downright corny relatives from Elmwood Springs, Missouri but they love her un...more
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I wish Goodreads gave half stars cause I think I would really give this book 3 1/2 stars rather than 4. I decided to give it 4 because, for the most part, I was entertained and satisfied. It was a quick read, for me, and although I found the story entertaining I didn't find myself emotionally immersed in the story as I thought I would be. There were points in the story where I felt weren't developed enough and I really wasn't crazy about how the ending unfolded. I was dieing to find out the "...more
I had to keep reading this to find the identity of Dena's mother, but I did get into it quite quickly. Most of the he characters, even the minor ones, were painted clearly enough for me to see and hear, only Gerry seemed a bit far off. Someone suggest who should play him in a film and maybe I'll get a handle on him.
Some bits made me smile (Neighbour Dorothy's homely broadcasts, Gerry's encounter with the Highway Patrolman), some bits were touching (Dena eating lobster for the first tim...more
Some bits made me smile (Neighbour Dorothy's homely broadcasts, Gerry's encounter with the Highway Patrolman), some bits were touching (Dena eating lobster for the first tim...more
I really liked this book, and I liked the author's descriptive style ... it had kind of an unexpected twist at the end that came out of the blue -- there wasn't the tiniest bit of foreshadowing, which makes the beginning and the end seem like two different books ... but, still, I really enjoyed it.
This was a fun and fast read, in spite of the fact it's a big fat book. Flagg writes in short chapters and punchy prose. The author does a great job of pealing the onion of the story. It starts with normal people in small town America and a cousin - Dena, the "Baby Girl" of the title - who is a hotshot reporter in New York. Flagg bounces back and forth in time slowly unfolding Dena's murky history as we realize the investigative reporter has never examined the mysteries in her own life...more
I love Fannie Flagg. I have read several of her books. Her stories of main street USA are so lovely that they are hard to resist. In this story a hard nosed NY anchor woman finds her true home. Her journey is heart warming. The story draws you in and makes life seem so happy.
WOW, what a book. This book was for our reading club and at first the size said, " you are not going to finish this in less than a month." I was wrong. The protagonist is a very young lady who is having problems enjoying the life she is living because of an unfinished past. The present is a self destructing life. Through counseling, investigation, she comes to terms with who she is, where she came from, and is now able to go forward with her life in a more positive light. She is...more
I read this for a book club, and to tell the truth, I was not looking forward to it. Although I liked Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes, this one started out very poorly. The going was slow and I think a lot of the first part of the novel could have been eliminated. I kept thinking about how predictable it was; ambitions, beautiful girl becomes a high power TV personality, finds out that fame is not worth the price, ends up in small town American married to a nice man.
But read on, folk...more
But read on, folk...more
Ok, so I picked up the book for a recent vacation - really looking for something to pass the flight. I was really pleased to read a down right good story. I'm not going to disillusion you with saying that the book is full of meaning or symbolism but from a narrative perspective Flagg does a really excllent job (though I'm not surprised given that she wrote Fried Green T so many years ago). The style of flipping from generation to generation, decade to decade made the read quite enjoyable.
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This is a neat book and a fast read. Fannie Flagg uses several time periods to tell a good story, leads the reader in several directions and then gives a surprise and discusses many issues, especially those realted to present day journalism and the "need" to harm people in order to create high TV ratings. She takes the cable stations to task without mentioning them. At times I found the plot a little too stretched to be believed, but I was ready to keep reading, anyway. The book pro...more
Dena Nordstrom is a brainy, beautiful anchorwoman, on her way to the top. She made it there by being willing to expose the hidden secrets of people who have already made it to the top. But she has secrets to hide and soon realizes the repercussions of her actions and the choices she has made in life. She returns to the small town of Elmwood Springs, where the only family she has left still live. And she discovers there that it's never too late to start over or make amends for your mistakes.
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Wow, can FF do nostalgia – the Preface just drips with it – her 3 page description of Elmwood Springs, Missouri, had me longing to go back – and I’ve never been there, or anywhere remotely similar. How about, “It is a typical middle class town and in most living rooms you will find at least one or two pairs of bronzed baby shoes and a picture of some child on top of the same brown and white Indian pony as the kid next door”, or, “Most people (in Elmwood) are content. You can tell by the well fe...more
LOVED this book! Fannie Flagg has such wonderful stories and tells them so well. At first I thought it would be so predictable, but she takes twists and turns and it makes for a delightful (light) read. Baby Girl is what folks in Elmwood Springs, MO call Dena Nordstrom. This is a story of Dena's life in the newscast business, and then her learning about her roots. It was very interesting and disgusting to imagine the decline and fall of honest news, as the reader will learn the truth about ...more
This book is one of the best ones I've read in a very long time. It tells the story of Dena Nordstrom, America's blonde haired, blue eyed #1 female newsperson in the 1970's. The book jumps back and forth between the 1940's and how Dena's parents met and her childhood, to 1978 New York City. It could easily get confusing, but Fannie Flagg writes it so flawlessly it isn't hard to follow at all.
It mainly centers around Dena and how her life is out of control - she drinks too much, goes ...more
It mainly centers around Dena and how her life is out of control - she drinks too much, goes ...more
Love this author, but I haven't zoomed through this book like I did "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven." Still good, though. Just not a spectacular plot. Basically, small town girl makes it big in the city as celebrity news anchorwoman. Loses her focus on self and life. Goes back to small-town roots. . .
One part that I'm really enjoying is Fannie Flagg's witty humor in the dialogue of some of the country folks. I've laughed out loud in a few spots. There's one discussion about h...more
One part that I'm really enjoying is Fannie Flagg's witty humor in the dialogue of some of the country folks. I've laughed out loud in a few spots. There's one discussion about h...more
I really enjoyed this story. The characters are likeable and the story had a little of everything. Mystery, romance, religion, laughter and tears. I liked how the author tied all the loose ends together at the end of the story.
a favorite quote from the story : "Do you believe in God, Aunt Elner? Sure I do, honey, why? How old were you when you started believing, do you remember? Aunt Elner paused for a moment. I never thought about not believing. Never did question it. I guess b...more
a favorite quote from the story : "Do you believe in God, Aunt Elner? Sure I do, honey, why? How old were you when you started believing, do you remember? Aunt Elner paused for a moment. I never thought about not believing. Never did question it. I guess b...more
I was glad when our book club picked a Fannie Flagg book; I've been meaning to read one ever since my sister-in-law recommended the author.
For all the talk I'd heard about how Flagg's characters were what sold the book, I was surprised at how well I liked the plot: so many varied storylines, from different places and times, are all woven together at the end to one cohesive tale.
Of course, the characters truly are delightful, too, especially the residents of Elmwood Sp...more
For all the talk I'd heard about how Flagg's characters were what sold the book, I was surprised at how well I liked the plot: so many varied storylines, from different places and times, are all woven together at the end to one cohesive tale.
Of course, the characters truly are delightful, too, especially the residents of Elmwood Sp...more
For years, I had admired Fannie Flagg's crazy sweaters on re-reuns of The Match Game. I realize now that I had no idea she was an author. I thought she was just famous for her sweaters. I'm not even kidding.
This remains the only book of hers that I've read (ETA: 4/14/10 - Not anymore) and it's really excellent. It made me want to learn how to drink men under the table (which I still cannot do but a girl can dream).
I think part of my love of it comes from the fact that I was ...more
This remains the only book of hers that I've read (ETA: 4/14/10 - Not anymore) and it's really excellent. It made me want to learn how to drink men under the table (which I still cannot do but a girl can dream).
I think part of my love of it comes from the fact that I was ...more
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Dena Nordstrom is on the verge of making it big as a female newscaster in 1970s New York, but she’s not dealing well with the stress of the job and some unresolved issues from her past.
This was enjoyable enough. My favorite parts featured the extended family living in Elmwood Springs, Missouri. I kept reading Aunt Elner’s speeches out loud to my husband. She just cracked me up! And I loved the little chapters that featured “Neighbor Dorothy’s” radio show. They sound so homey, ch...more
This was enjoyable enough. My favorite parts featured the extended family living in Elmwood Springs, Missouri. I kept reading Aunt Elner’s speeches out loud to my husband. She just cracked me up! And I loved the little chapters that featured “Neighbor Dorothy’s” radio show. They sound so homey, ch...more
I thought this was going to be another really happy southern tale similar to Red Bird Christmas. I pictured a story about a young girl who was born into a picture perfect southern town and any conflict in her life was resolved with a fairy tale ending. Very Hollywood. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t at all like a fairy tale. This was a very enjoyable story. Dena is a young woman who grew up in the 50’s. The memories of her childhood revolve around her mother. She was all...more
My expectations for this book were high enough to read it, but not a lot higher than that. In reading a synopsis of the book I found out it was about a woman from samll town Missouri who becomes a star as a television personality in the big apple. She has some demons, is emotionally shut off, and with the help of her psychiatrist works through those demons. That novel, in one form or another, has been written several times. If it wasn't for the fact that I enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes, I don't t...more
The Neighbor Dorothy radio show reminded me of Kitchen Klatter from when I was a kid and that was fun. I'm glad the whole book wasn't about the little town and the super folksy people who live there, but the bits that were there were cute. I did like Fannie Flagg's take on the trend in our country to make news into entertainment. The story of the main character's mysterious family history was just a little too much, but it certainly had me guessing. The last paragraph of the book kind of redeeme...more
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Fannie Flagg began writing and producing television specials at age nineteen and went on to distinguish herself as an actress and writer in television, films, and the theater.
She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (which was produced by Universal Pictures as Fried Green Tomatoes), Welcome to the World,...more
More about Fannie Flagg...
She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (which was produced by Universal Pictures as Fried Green Tomatoes), Welcome to the World,...more
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“The line between the public life and the private life has been erased, due to the rapid decline of manners and courtesy. There is a certain crudeness and crassness that has suddenly become accepted behavior, even desirable.”
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