The Whole Town's Talking Quotes

“IN 1865, SWEDEN WAS A LAND with strict class divisions, with no middle ground. If you did not own land, you worked it for the ones who did, with no hope for a different future for you or your children. But something had happened. Something called America. And there was now hope in the world. A place where if you worked hard, you had at least a chance for something better. But at that moment, Ingrid’s baby girl was only forty-two minutes old and already hungry”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“They also learned that the very best way to start a marriage was with a good laugh.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“He was worried about his country. Something was rotting from the inside—a slow decay of what was right and wrong. It was as if hundreds of cynical little rats were chewing at its very fiber, gnawing away year by year, until it was collapsing into a vat of gray slime and self-loathing. It had oozed under the doors of the classrooms, the newscasts, and in the movies and television shows and had slowly changed the national dialogue until it was now a travesty to be proud of your country, foolish to be patriotic, and insensitive to even suggest that people take care of themselves. History was being rewritten by the hour, heroes pulled down to please the political correctors. We were living in a country where there was freedom of speech for some, but not all. What was it going to take to get America back on track? Would everything they had fought for be forgotten? He was so glad he and Norma had grown up when they had. They had come of age in such an innocent time, when people wanted to work and better themselves. Now the land of the free meant an entirely different thing. Each generation had become a weaker version of the last, until we were fast becoming a nation of whiners and people looking for a free ride—even expecting it. Hell, kids wouldn’t even leave home anymore. He felt like everything was going downhill.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“I think most people are confused about life, because it’s not just one thing going on,” said Elner. “It’s many things going on at the same time. Life is both sad and happy, simple and complex, all at the same time.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“Ida had always been different. At school, when all the kids used to play church, and one would be the preacher, another the preacher’s wife, a deacon, and the choir leader, and some would be the parishioners who had come to the church, Ida said she wanted to be God, because she was the only one who knew how to do it. Of”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“Even when I was failing math and everything else and I was feeling so bad about myself, you sat down with me and said, “Honey, there are those who do well at math, and then there are those, like yourself, who have been blessed with a creative mind and a wonderful imagination. I just know you are going on to do great things.” You’ll never know how you changed my life that day.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are the most beautiful squirrel in the world.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“In the movies, it was always the bad guys that got killed, and the good guys lived happily forever.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“newly formed group of women fliers known as the WASPs. Female pilots were desperately needed to ferry planes and supplies around the United States and free up the men for combat duty.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“Clyde. This here’s Bonnie.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“They also learned that the very best way to start a marriage was with a good laugh. Particularly when the children start coming.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“know, Mother. Doesn’t everybody clean their venetian blinds with a Q-tip twice a day? Duh!”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“The problem was that Norvaleen had been in denial and also in McDonald's, eating the cheeseburger special with fries. Evidently, the Diet Coke had not evened out the calories. What a shock.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“Whenever Ida pointed celery at him, she meant business.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“What can I tell you about the town? I suppose if you had driven through it back”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“Sometimes a woman in love doesn’t see what’s right in front of her eyes. Even a woman with a law degree.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“Of course, she seems happy, Mabel,” said Mrs. Gumms, “but you know, no woman is really happy without a home and children.” Mrs. Bell said, “I’m not so sure about that. Oh, not that I don’t love Lloyd and the children, but still…it might be nice to have a little time to myself every once in a while.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak and read English well. Miss”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“and putting”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“your camellias are holding up”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking

“He had always been casting about in his mind: What was life all about? What the hell was his purpose? What was he supposed to be doing? But now, everything made sense. He had lived and died; it was as simple as that. He hadn’t needed a purpose. The fact that he was born was all the purpose he had ever needed. He was meant to be his parents’ child, his wife’s husband, his daughter’s father, and on and on. Despite all his grand schemes and ambitions to set the world on fire, to be someone special, he was just another little link in the chain of life, inching forward from generation to generation. The only thing he had to do was relax and enjoy where he was. This was exactly where he was meant to be right now. He had to agree with Norma. He didn’t think he had ever been happier in his entire life.”
― Fannie Flagg, The Whole Town's Talking