Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a wonderful, warm book revisiting beloved characters from Whistle Stop, Alabama. The book skips back and forth between time periods and characters, telling some of the side stories in between the lines of Fried Green Tomatoes.

There is one main storyline that flows through the whole book, focused on Buddy Threadgoode and his daughter Ruthie. We learn what happens to Bud and his family, as well as other characters after time passes Whistle Stop by and the town disappears. One day Bud “escapes” his nursing home and takes the train to Birmingham, intent on going back to Whistle Stop one last time. But, he gets turned around and finds himself lost in the woods. He’s found just in time and while in the hospital, he and Ruthie are visited by Evelyn Couch, who has had more success in her life since meeting Ninny Threadgoode than she ever dreamed of. Evelyn and Ruthie strike up a friendship, and soon the duo concoct a new adventure to undertake.

Reading this book is like curling up on a rainy day under a warm homemade comforter with a cup of hot chocolate. I found myself smiling as I read all of the sweet goings-on in the characters’ lives that we’ve all come to know and love. While the timelines are a bit slap-dash and don’t make much sense, it all works nonetheless. The chapters switch back and forth between time periods and characters, with several of Dot Weems’ newsletters interspersed throughout. If you like cozy, warm and fuzzy books, this is just the one for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.