What could be better than a sunny weekend and a Fannie Flagg book? Flagg creates characters that take you into their lives and hearts as easily as sipping Southern sweet tea. In "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven," we meet Elner Shimfissle of Elmwood Springs, Mo. Elner is the senior we all hope to grow up to be. She is kind, funny, wise, and loves her cat Sonny. She's the kind of person that you can meet only once and remember forever.

Elner loves nature and science. Watching the Discovery Channel, reading "National Geographic," and listening to a local morning show, she often ponders the Big Questions what is the meaning of life? Where did Able and Cain meet their wives? And even, which came first, the chicken or the egg?

When the reader begins her story, Elner is dead. She "wakes up" in the hospital, remembering only that she was on a ladder in her fig tree when she mistakenly poked a wasp's nest. She soon leaves her hospital bed for a journey that begins with her sister (who died several years previously) greeting her in a marble-white hallway.

Flagg then takes us back to Elner's home and community. As news of her death travels, the members of this small town each reflect on how Elner impacted their lives. Flagg avoids a story

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as sugary as your tea by showing the flaws in each character. Although Elner is a delight, several other main characters are less than perfect.

While I'm not a personal fan of a God character who is portrayed as human-like (complete with desires and weaknesses), Elner is so likeable and is enjoying herself so much, that the reader can easily go along for the ride.

Recommendation: Grab a copy and head for the pool. While this book may not answer any of life's mysteries, it can make you think about death and the appreciation of all that is here.

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Contact Kel Kanady at books_at_bulletin@yahoo.com.