Preview
  • Standing in the Rainbow

  • A Novel
  • By: Fannie Flagg
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (276 ratings)

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Standing in the Rainbow

By: Fannie Flagg
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Publisher's summary

Good news! Fannie’s back in town - and the town is among the leading characters in this 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 10-year-old son, destined to live a thousand lives, most of them in his imagination; Norma and Macky Warren and their 98-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."

©2002 Fannie Flagg (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.
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Critic reviews

Winner - Audie Awards, 2003

What listeners say about Standing in the Rainbow

Average customer ratings
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Nostalgic

Loved it! Takes you back, nostalgic. Women empowerment sub story! I would read it again. 😄

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    5 out of 5 stars
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One of my favorites

Learn to love Fannie Flagg with this book or any. The narration is wonderful and as always with Fannie’s books, you simply fall in love with the rich cast of characters.

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Enjoyed

I so enjoyed listening to this book. no hate, no killing!! just a good story of yesteryear and how life was when I was young. I long for those easier days of small town America!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A BEAUTIFUL MEANDER

I listen to this for a change of pace from more intense books, and it was delightful. It meander through peoples lives and while bad things were not avoided. Just finishing it now I feel like I have left some old friends who I’ve known all their lives. I loved the character development where people were flawed or quirky, and yet all presented with kindness and hope

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very good.

love Fannie Flagg. this book was a bit different, but I still liked it

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A breath of fresh air

I love the wholesome stories from Fannie Flagg with plenty of humor. They certainly bring back fond childhood memories.

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TIME TRAVEL AT ITS BEST !!!

One of my all time favorites!!! SIMPLY LOVED EVERY SINGLE WORD !! THE Raw truth of the ending made me weep and long for the unforgettable simple innocent times we were blessed to grow up in !! Thankful and hopefully my life will end soon. I'm looking forward going home to heaven ! EXCELLENT STORIES !!! AMAZING and WONDERFUL narrator !!!

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How she wrote and you thought you really know the characters

I loved it. I love hearing about the little hometown. And I am from Southeast Missouri so I know a lot of the towns they were talking about

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Standing in the rainbow

Enjoyed listening to this book, felt like I knew these people. Made me laugh , also get weepy. Love Fannie Flagg.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

narrative is slow to grow on you

once you get use to the narrative. the story becomes heartwarming. the fascinating thing about the story line is how it reflects the present.
great writing ! Thank you

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