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Standing in the Rainbow (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 6,311 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Good news! Fannie’s back in town—and the town is among the leading characters in her new novel. Along with Neighbor Dorothy, the lady with the smile in her voice, whose daily radio broadcasts keep us delightfully informed on all the local news, we also meet Bobby, her ten-year-old son, destined to live a thousand lives, most of them in his imagination; Norma and Macky Warren and their ninety-eight-year-old Aunt Elner; the oddly sexy and charismatic Hamm Sparks, who starts off in life as a tractor salesman and ends up selling himself to the whole state and almost the entire country; and the two women who love him as differently as night and day. Then there is Tot Whooten, the beautician whose luck is as bad as her hairdressing skills; Beatrice Woods, the Little Blind Songbird; Cecil Figgs, the Funeral King; and the fabulous Minnie Oatman, lead vocalist of the Oatman Family Gospel Singers. The time is 1946 until the present. The town is Elmwood Springs, Missouri, right in the middle of the country, in the midst of the mostly joyous transition from war to peace, aiming toward a dizzyingly bright future. Once again, Fannie Flagg gives us a story of richly human characters, the saving graces of the once-maligned middle classes and small-town life, and the daily contest between laughter and tears. Fannie truly writes from the heartland, and her storytelling is, to quote Time, "utterly irresistible."
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"I just finished reading this today. I LOVED it. Best of what I've read so far. Funny, warm and lovable characters, I laughed, I cried, I was totally involved in the life of the people, their town and escapades. It got a little draggy towards the end, but over all a completely enjoyable, light and fun read."
— carolm (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Winner of Audie Awards, 2003
Standing in the Rainbow Listener Reviews
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" Great book. Anyone from small town can relate. Or anyone growing older, watching time pass to fast can relate! "
— Stacie, 2/20/2014 -
" 4.5 stars So it really didn't have a set plot throughout but the writing was so good. I laughed out lout several places and loved getting to know all the characters. "
— Anna, 2/16/2014 -
" This book is wonderful. The stories intermingle and the characters are relatable and lovable. The book spans 40 years and you really can see how things have changed in the world over those 40 years. "
— Jen, 2/6/2014 -
" This was one goofy book. And it was about 200 pages too long. I thought it would be fun to go back in time to a simpler era and remember how things were when I was a kid. And it was sort of entertaining for about 100 pages. But it just went on. And on. And on. And on. The storyline was weak, although the characters were pretty well defined. There were a few amusing parts, but mostly it was just boring. Definitely a "granny book". "
— Jill, 2/6/2014 -
" loved this sweet n warm book n everyone in it! "
— Patricia, 2/2/2014 -
" I love Fannie Flagg. Not as good as some but still made me smile. "
— Amanda, 1/31/2014 -
" funny, heartwarming, feel good book "
— Paula, 1/26/2014 -
" A great story of courage and kindness that spans decades. Well-rounded characters. "
— Laura, 1/21/2014 -
" I almost wish I had read this one first, and Welcome to the World, Baby Girl, second... it was almost a "prequel" to the latter. "
— Annie, 1/20/2014 -
" My favorite Fanny of all time. Grandma Tic Toc loved this book, too, and I can imagine it being just like this for her now. A new Fanny Flagg book in the stores is the best gift of the year! "
— Beth, 1/11/2014 -
" I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Fannie Flagg when I'm in the mood for just easy-reading, funny, nostalgia. If you want to know what life used to be like in "olden times" in mid-America, this book is delightful. "
— Susan, 12/28/2013 -
" Good book from the start but it got kind of depressing towards the end. "
— Ashley, 12/23/2013 -
" Nostalgic "
— F, 12/14/2013 -
" I felt like Flagg couldn't figure out to wrap this up. It started strong and then sort of died away. Didn't have the oomph of Fried Green Tomatoes, which I loved. "
— Sharon, 12/13/2013 -
" Really enjoyable. Great characters. "
— Donna, 11/24/2013 -
" I will always be a loyal Fannie Flagg fan. I have enjoyed everything this lady has written. She always produces "feel good" work. "
— Oran, 11/21/2013 -
" This book was all right. A little on the long side. "
— Liza, 11/4/2013 -
" I expected something of the depth and quality of Fried Green Tomatoes. Not. Shallow at best character development. No thread throughout of a plot. Reminded me of the Father Tim books by Jan Karon, which have their place in sweet, light reads for my mother. "
— Becky, 10/2/2013 -
" I listened to this book on CD, read by the author, so that may have been why it was so entertaining. "
— Jessica, 8/29/2013 -
" After reading "Fried Green Tomatoes" I have tried to read every book Fannie Flagg writes. "
— Mary, 6/3/2013 -
" Love Fanny Flagg and love her deceptively 'easy' style. Small town America is brought to life in the multiple narratives which intersect to create an enjoyable read. "
— Lynne, 3/2/2013 -
" I really just dig Fannie Flagg's prose, the way she makes you feel like you really do know the people you are reading about. very enjoyable. "
— Angela, 2/20/2013 -
" My Grandma recommended this to me. I am in the middle of it, and it is fabulous! It's funny, and touching, and really great. "
— Tina, 2/9/2013 -
" Another easy read by this author.I enjoy the gentle Southern live that is depicted in these books. "
— Pauline, 1/27/2013 -
" This is a fun look back in time. The characters jump around some, but the story made me laugh out loud more than once. "
— Kowanda, 11/23/2012 -
" really funny and heartwarming "
— Kathie, 11/2/2012 -
" Another excellent story with familiar characters. "
— Molly, 10/31/2012 -
" I love the conversational tone of this book. I like the characters and I enjoyed following them across the arc of decades. I'll be reading more by Flagg. "
— Tim, 4/7/2012 -
" I compulsively read everything an author has done until I run out, or until the library has no more. "
— Laurie, 2/25/2012 -
" a good character book & fun look into this time period "
— Darcy, 2/4/2012 -
" Fannie Flagg is one fun author who pens breezy, comfty novels. This first of three set in the South takes the reader on the beginning of a delightful journey full of quirky, loveable characters. "
— Ykoulouthros, 11/27/2011 -
" a little too home town for me. it was OK "
— Marsmannix, 10/19/2011 -
" Loved this book! The depiction of small town life, the quirky characters, the humor . . . most enjoyable! "
— Mary, 9/9/2011 -
" Actually listen to this one on tape. I love the time period and the neighborly feel. The book took some unexpected turns of character plot. Good. "
— Brook, 6/21/2011 -
" I love Fannie Flagg and confess I am re-reading this book because it is not dark , just charmingly quirky and warm about the happy and sad parts of life . A relief from The Dark Knight Rises that we saw last night. "
— Deborah, 6/17/2011 -
" Always funny, I always learn something about the eras of which Flagg writes when I read her. "
— Don, 5/6/2011 -
" A really amusing and heartwarming story centering around a woman in a small midwestern town who has her own radio show, broadcast from her living room. "
— Terry, 4/28/2011 -
" I couldn't remember if I'd read this one or not. So I started it again, and I enjoyed the odd feeling of being so smart that I knew what was going to happen. Eventually, it occurred to me that I must have read the book already. "
— Valerie, 4/9/2011 -
" This was a great book. I felt like I lived there. "
— Anna, 3/27/2011 -
" Good book from the start but it got kind of depressing towards the end. "
— Ashley, 3/20/2011 -
" The story starts in the 40's and spans 5 decades. It takes place in a small in the midwest.The story brought back lots of memories and is a light read. "
— Alberta, 3/17/2011 -
" One of my favorite books of all time! The characterization is perfect and everything is just so cute and relatable. I wish I could live in, or at least visit, the quaint little town of Elmwood Springs. "
— Natalia, 3/8/2011 -
" A longer read, jumped around alot but I still enjoyed it. Truly a Fannie Flagg story! "
— Jennifer, 3/8/2011 -
" Fanny Flagg can tell a good story and get into the characters of a small town. "
— Jane, 3/5/2011 -
" This was a terrific book. I'd call it a twofer but the two stories were so well linked thet read as one. I laughed, cried, got really angry and thoroughly enjoyed myself. "
— Kathleen, 2/5/2011 -
" A sweet, satisfying novel. It made me wish I'd grown up with the characters. "
— Ashley, 2/1/2011
About Fannie Flagg
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, Baby Girl!, Standing in the Rainbow, and A Redbird Christmas. Her script for Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated for both the Academy and Writers Guild of America awards and won the highly regarded Scripters Award. She lives in California and in Alabama.