Name: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
ISBN: 9781568951997

Rebecca Wells

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Lizzy Jensen

When Siddalee Walker, oldest daughter of Vivi Abbott Walker, Ya-Ya extraordinaire, is interviewed in the New York Times about a hit play she's directed, her mother gets described as a "tap-dancing child abuser." Enraged, Vivi disowns Sidda. Devastated, Sidda begs forgiveness, and postpones her upcoming wedding. All looks bleak until the Ya-Yas step in and convince Vivi to send Sidda a scrapbook of their girlhood mementos, called "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." As Sidda struggles to analyze her mother, she comes face to face with the tangled beauty of imperfect love, and the fact that forgiveness, more than understanding, is often what the heart longs for. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood may call to mind Prince of Tides in its unearthing of family darkness; in its unforgettable heroines and irrepressible humor and female loyalty, it echoes Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

A Novel

Cindy McKee

I have made a special place in my heart for both the movie and the book. While I would have loved for them to put everything in the movie, over time I can understand why they didn't. It did not matter whether or not it was an elephant or an airplane that got Sidda to a place of understanding, all that mattered was the journey there. I am sorry they left out why Buggy was the way she was, and the whole episode in the institution after Vivvy's birthday party, because to me, that was a HUGE turning point in the book. But cest le viv. What I loved most about the movie is the friendship between the Ya Ya's. In the book you get a sense of it, but seeing it played out by those amazing actresses was a treat. So, I love them both, but in different ways. Together, they make a bright beautiful portrait of friendships that last.

Katie Cheng

Finished it in one sitting! Had my misgivings when I first started reading, but thoroughly enjoyed it in a silly-rom-com kind of way. 

On the bad end - some cringe-worthy moments. Everything was a little too peachy-keen, and all the strings a little too perfectly tied up by the end. And while there were some moments that got pretty real, those moments passed quickly - most of the book was just about the frivolous fun of a gaggle of all-American princesses.

On the good end - I'm always a sucker for stories about reparation of mother-daughter bonds. Lots of that...the whole book is about that, if anything. That, and realizing that whatever faults and follies we may find in our parents, there is always a backstory - a backstory that we certainly can't appreciate as children, and must learn to appreciate as adults. 

In general, I loved reading about the Ya-Yas, as ridiculous (and borderline obnoxious) as they are. Remind me of some of my friends :) And of course I can't help but buy in to the overall message to embrace yourself, embrace vulnerability, and embrace life, yadda yadda. It's like candy.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

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