Summary

In “The New Proposition,” during Ruthie’s weekend visit with Evelyn, Evelyn drove Ruthie out to a place near the railroad tracks where there were some vine-covered buildings and a bunch of junk. She welcomed Ruthie to Whistle Stop and told her that she had just bought it. She suggested that they revitalize the Whistle Stop Cafe and open it for business again. She said Bud would love it if perhaps they could open the entire town. The next day, Ruthie told Evelyn she had wanted to do something nice for her father and thought revitalizing Whistle Stop was the best gift she could give him. They agreed not to say anything until they had gotten things cleaned up.

In “Only in America,” Evelyn considered that only in America could a woman who had grown up...