Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg

Best Quote From Book: "Just like two and two always add up to four, kindness and foregiveness is always right, hate and revenge is always wrong. It's a fail-proof system; if you just stick to that one simple rule, why, you couldn't make a mistake if you tried."

I enjoyed Flagg's Can't Wait to Get to Heaven more than I enjoyed her previous best-seller, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe. Since I really enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes..., to like this book even more is saying quite a bit. The reason I really liked this book; with all of the negative happenings in our world today, Flagg's humor-filled story illustrates a simply positive approach to everyday life. Not only has she written a humorous, heart-warming novel, her well written, easy-to-understand concepts are things all of us should strive to incorporate into our day-to-day life.

Set in current day Elmwood Springs, a small town in Missouri, this novel is full of small town charm, warmth, character idiosyncracies, and side-splitting humor. Flagg's characters are the essence of her story. They are small town, folksy, lovable and uniquely familiar. They will remind you of yourself and people you know.

The story opens as the "loves all living creatures" Aunt Elner, the 80-something-year-old lead character, climbs a ladder to pick figs for a friend. In Elmwood Springs, Aunt Elner's early morning fig picking, will send her on an incredible journey and set in motion a series of unforeseeable events. Elner's neurotic niece, Norma, and her Home Depot employed & very Aunt Elner loyal husband, Macky, round out the lead roles.

Some of the other richly colorful characters you will encounter in this book are the local newspaper editor, the beauty shop owner, the Bible thumper, the egomaniacal attorney, the retired, snail killing gardener, the ambulance chasing lawyer, and the always trying to stay out of trouble truck driver. For the most part, in their own ways, each of the characters is pondering the real meaning of life and the consequences of their actions, good and bad. Flagg continues to develop her characters as her plot develops. These characters develop all of the way through the book to the very last chapter.

In this novel, Flagg utilizes an easy-to-read writing style making it even more enjoyable. This book was charming and hard-to-put-down, likely making it one of my favorite reads of 2007.

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven
Author: Fannie Flagg
Available formats:
Hardback, July 2006, 384 pages, approximate cost $26
Hardback, Large Print, July 2006, 528 pages, approximate cost $28
Paperback, June 2007 Reprint, 384 pages, approximate cost $12
Audio - Compact Disc, Abridged, read by Fannie Flagg, July 2006, approximate cost $30
Audio - Compact Disc, Unabridged, read by Fannie Flagg & Cassandra Campbell, July 2006, currently unavailable new, approximate cost used $90-$125
Reading group guide also available

Other books by Fannie Flagg:
A Redbird Christmas, 2004
Standing in the Rainbow, 2002
Welcome to the World Baby Girl!, 1998
Fannie Flagg's Original Whistlestop Cafe Cookbook, 1995
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, 1987
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man (aka Coming Attractions), 1981

To learn more about the author Fannie Flagg, visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/fannieflagg/