NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is at her superb best in this fun-loving, moving novel about what it means to be truly alive. WINNER OF THE SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE Elmwood Springs, Missouri, is a small town like any other, but something strange is happening at the cemetery. Still Meadows, as it’s called, is anything but still. Original, profound, The Whole Town’s Talking, a novel in the tradition of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Flagg’s own Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, tells the story of Lordor Nordstrom, his Swedish mail-order bride, Katrina, and their neighbors and descendants as they live, love, die, and carry on in mysterious and surprising ways. Lordor Nordstrom created, in his wisdom, not only a lively town and a prosperous legacy for himself but also a beautiful final resting place for his family, friends, and neighbors yet to come. “Resting place” turns out to be a bit of a misnomer, however. Odd things begin to happen, and it starts the whole town talking. With her wild imagination, great storytelling, and deep understanding of folly and the human heart, the beloved Fannie Flagg tells an unforgettable story of life, afterlife, and the remarkable goings-on of ordinary people. In The Whole Town’s Talking, she reminds us that community is vital, life is a gift, and love never dies. Praise for The Whole Town’s Talking “A witty multigenerational saga . . . [Fannie] Flagg’s down-home wisdom, her affable humor and her long view of life offer a pleasant respite in nerve-jangling times.”—People “Fannie Flagg at her best.”—The Florida Times-Union “If there’s one thing Fannie Flagg can do better than anybody else, it’s tell a story, and she outdoes herself in The Whole Town’s Talking. . . . Brilliant . . . equally on the level as her famous Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.”—The Newport Plain Talk “Delightful.”—The Washington Post “A ringing affirmation of love, community and life itself.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

ファニー・フラッグが描くのは、平凡な町に潜む生の輝きとその愛おしい継続です。本作の真髄は、墓地を沈黙の場ではなく対話と繋がりの場へと昇華させた独創的な視点にあります。何世代にもわたる人々の営みを慈愛に満ちた筆致で綴り、死さえもコミュニティの一部として温かく包み込む。これこそが彼女の到達した文学的境地と言えます。 生きることが単なる個人の体験ではなく、過去から未来へと続く壮大な物語のひとこまであると気づかされます。愛と記憶が永遠に循環する美しさを証明した本作は、現代を生きる私たちの魂に深く寄り添う福音です。一筋の光のような希望を、ぜひその手で受け取ってください。