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Something to Look Forward To

Fictions

Author Fannie Flagg
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Audio | Random House Audio
On sale Aug 19, 2025 | 9 Hours and 0 Minutes | 9798217159581
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
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A tapestry of joyful and startling interconnected stories that celebrate how people from all across America cope with adversity and unexpected changes in a confusing world—from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Fannie Flagg once said that what the world needs now is a good laugh. And that is what she gives us in these warmhearted, always surprising stories about people who are finding clever ways to deal with the curveballs life sometimes throws at us.

Velma in Kansas, a loving great-grandmother, struggles to bridge generational gaps with her family. We cheer for Helen, in Ithaca, New York, who takes an audacious course of action when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. In Bent Fork, Wyoming; in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; in Tucson, Arizona; and in towns and cities all across America, people figure out inventive ways to overcome obstacles to happiness. And in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Special Agent Frawley is studying the mysteries of being human from an original perspective.

With her imagination, humor, and great understanding of the human heart, Fannie Flagg holds a mirror up to the foibles, ingenuity, and imagination of people, inspiring us to laugh at the sometimes eccentric, sometimes brilliant ways people cope with, and ultimately prevail over, the challenges of modern life.
© Suze Lanier
Fannie Flagg’s career started in the fifth grade when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play, titled The Whoopee Girls, and she has not stopped since. At age nineteen she began writing and producing television specials, and later wrote for and appeared on Candid Camera. She then went on to distinguish herself as an actress and a writer in television, films, and the theater. She is the bestselling author of Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man; Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!; Standing in the Rainbow; A Redbird Christmas; Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven; I Still Dream About You; The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion; and The Whole Town’s Talking. Flagg’s script for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated for an Academy Award and the Writers Guild of America Award and won the highly regarded Scripter Award for best screenplay of the year. Fannie Flagg is the winner of the Harper Lee Prize. She lives happily in California and Alabama. View titles by Fannie Flagg
“Fannie Flagg is a national treasure. There is no one like Fannie and there never will be. Her short story collection, Something to Look Forward To, is a high-octane literary road trip of small towns, with their most colorful characters and their juicy antics. Rascals, special agents, oddballs, weather girls, and missing relatives are just a few of the glorious guests at this covered-dish feast. It’s pure Fannie, which means it's the best there is!”—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View from Lake Como

“Something to Look Forward To is a book I looked forward to reading since I am a huge fan of Fannie Flagg’s writing. It’s a wonderful read . . . funny, sad, surprising, and intriguing. Fannie’s characters jump off the page and into your heart. She continues to delight and amaze.”—Carol Burnett, New York Times bestselling author of In Such Good Company

About

A tapestry of joyful and startling interconnected stories that celebrate how people from all across America cope with adversity and unexpected changes in a confusing world—from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Fannie Flagg once said that what the world needs now is a good laugh. And that is what she gives us in these warmhearted, always surprising stories about people who are finding clever ways to deal with the curveballs life sometimes throws at us.

Velma in Kansas, a loving great-grandmother, struggles to bridge generational gaps with her family. We cheer for Helen, in Ithaca, New York, who takes an audacious course of action when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. In Bent Fork, Wyoming; in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; in Tucson, Arizona; and in towns and cities all across America, people figure out inventive ways to overcome obstacles to happiness. And in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Special Agent Frawley is studying the mysteries of being human from an original perspective.

With her imagination, humor, and great understanding of the human heart, Fannie Flagg holds a mirror up to the foibles, ingenuity, and imagination of people, inspiring us to laugh at the sometimes eccentric, sometimes brilliant ways people cope with, and ultimately prevail over, the challenges of modern life.

Author

© Suze Lanier
Fannie Flagg’s career started in the fifth grade when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play, titled The Whoopee Girls, and she has not stopped since. At age nineteen she began writing and producing television specials, and later wrote for and appeared on Candid Camera. She then went on to distinguish herself as an actress and a writer in television, films, and the theater. She is the bestselling author of Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man; Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!; Standing in the Rainbow; A Redbird Christmas; Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven; I Still Dream About You; The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion; and The Whole Town’s Talking. Flagg’s script for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated for an Academy Award and the Writers Guild of America Award and won the highly regarded Scripter Award for best screenplay of the year. Fannie Flagg is the winner of the Harper Lee Prize. She lives happily in California and Alabama. View titles by Fannie Flagg

Praise

“Fannie Flagg is a national treasure. There is no one like Fannie and there never will be. Her short story collection, Something to Look Forward To, is a high-octane literary road trip of small towns, with their most colorful characters and their juicy antics. Rascals, special agents, oddballs, weather girls, and missing relatives are just a few of the glorious guests at this covered-dish feast. It’s pure Fannie, which means it's the best there is!”—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View from Lake Como

“Something to Look Forward To is a book I looked forward to reading since I am a huge fan of Fannie Flagg’s writing. It’s a wonderful read . . . funny, sad, surprising, and intriguing. Fannie’s characters jump off the page and into your heart. She continues to delight and amaze.”—Carol Burnett, New York Times bestselling author of In Such Good Company

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