Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by:Rebecca Wells

Andrea Oliver
Mrs. Brown
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Rebecca Wells
Fiction
A story about the uniqueness of mother daughter relationships.
Wells, Rebecca. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. New York: HaperCollins, 1996


This is a curious tale of a mother and daughter and their fight to stay connected through the rough times. The novel takes place in Louisiana and in Seattle, Washington though mother and daughter are separated their story stands strong. Throughout, the character’s life, Sidda has always felt loved even through her mother bourbon streaked abuse. Always trying to please her and walking on egg shells Sidda, for once speaks honestly to a news reported about the abuse. Immediately separating them and angering her mother. Vivi her mother, the other main character, has had a past full of good friends and good times although the good times soon became fewer and further in between. Throughout this wonderful novel the reader is able to view both characters’ lives through flashbacks, letters and an amazing scrapbook called The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The importance of setting is great because the reader really feels like they are in the Deep South with words and phrases used like Confederacy and Gone with the Wind. The author’s use of flash back is tasteful and just right while the book is a touch hard to get into the middle to end is a page turner. Wells’ style is geared and written for women although men may get a laugh out of some of the female antics and stories.