Books: Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! By Fannie Flagg

In the world of Dena Nordstrom, a glamorous TV newswoman, people come in two varieties: corn pone and ruthless shark. The former populate the safe, static Missouri town of Dena’s early youth, and the latter stalk the corridors of Manhattan, where career-obsessed Dena collapses from stress. She’s forced finally to confront the hole at the middle of her existence: the unexplained disappearance of her mother when Dena was just 15. As the narrative shifts in time and place to unravel the mystery, the action is as shamelessly unsubtle as the characters are cliched. That said, this third novel from the author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is utterly irresistible. Its plot is so fast paced, readers may not even notice its weaknesses.

–By Jill Smolowe