"Oh my, thank you, Lordor, but I'm afraid this is just one of those times when mere words are just not adequate. It's certainly beyond beautiful or euphoric. I would say 'sublime' is the only word that comes close, and even that doesn't capture it. All I can say is it's a feeling you never dream existed, and it just keeps going."
-Katrina Nordstrom, from the novel
What do you think heaven will be like? The folks at Still Meadows cemetery in Elmwood Springs Missouri try to let us in on it in this novel. In fact, the quote above is from one of the "heavenly" residents who is describing it for a new arrival. It may seem a bit far-fetched but the images are pleasant enough.
The Whole Town's Talking begins in 1889 with the arrival in America of young Swede, Lordor Nordstrom. He makes a home and begins building a dairy farm in Missouri. He finds a mail-order wife, starts a family, becomes successful and is beloved by the town he has founded, Elmwood Springs. His legacy is carried on throughout the story. The novel is laid out in decades all the way up to 2016, and beyond. Interestingly a lot of American history and culture come into play for example women's suffrage, Lindbergh's flight, Bonnie and Clyde, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, etc. In the WWII era, it was interesting that Ms. Flagg tied in the WASPs that she had written about in detail in a previous novel The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. (An excellent one, I must say!)
There were an awful lot of characters to keep up with here---family and townsfolk over many years. When they died you still had to keep track of them because they were still around "in spirit." And then there's the mystery of why some of the deceased in Still Meadows disappeared. You must keep reading to learn! I am rating this one a 4. I really liked it but not as much as most of Flagg's other work. I'd be interested to know what YOU think of the ending!
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