Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, a celebrated novel written by Fannie Flagg in 1987. The story unfolds through the eyes of Evelyn Couch, a middle-aged woman struggling with her own sense of identity and purpose. While visiting a nursing home, Evelyn meets Ninny Threadgoode, an elderly woman with a captivating storytelling ability. As Ninny shares tales of her past, Evelyn becomes enthralled by the story of two women: Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison.
Idgie is clearly coded as gay, but Evelyn seems to be bi. Idgie is a tomboy who has close male friends, but never forms a romantic attachment with a man. She is assertive and takes care of her friends, especially Evelyn. Evelyn breaks Idgie’s heart and marries Frank. Idgie begs Evelyn not to marry, she screams that she loves Evelyn, and is devastated when Evelyn marries Frank. She then travels to Georgia once a month just to see Evelyn without talking to her.
When she finally speaks up, she tells Evelyn,
Look I don’t want to bother you. I know you’re probably very happy and all … I mean, I’m sure you are, but I just wanted you to know that I don’t hate you and I never did. I sitll want you to come back and I’m not a kid anymore, so I’m not gonna change. I still love you and I always will and I still don’t care what anybody thinks —
Eventually Evelyn asks Idgie for help and Idgie coordinates the rescue of Evelyn and her son, Buddy Jr. Together Idgie and Evelyn form their own family, raising Buddy Jr. together and running the Whistle Stop Cafe. Idgie’s love for Evelyn is obvious (and pretty clearly romantic), but Evelyn’s could be read as slightly more ambiguous. Only slightly though, it’s fairly clear that after leaving Frank, she is just as in love with Idgie.
In 1991 the novel was adapted into the film Fried Green Tomatoes directed by Jon Avnet.