Little Altars Everywhere : CD

Rating:
Summary: Life, love, God, excess, family, redemption--in So.Louisiana
Review: For a first novel, Little Altars Everywhere, packs a punch that we don't often find in contemporary literature. Rebecca Wells combines humor, abuse, alcoholism, love, religion, fear and tragedy in a novel that shakes our complacent foundations and wakes us up to what parents do to their children whether they realize it or not. And along with that, we learn how the children deal with parents whom they love above all but whom they come to realize are far from the perfect parents they once envisioned. Rural Louisiana is the scene, and it is rich with imagery of live oaks and Spanish moss and the colorful culture that accompanies life in Louisiana. The mother, Vivi Walker, and her childhood friends, the Yaya sisters, live, love, drink and play cards while the children at times lead charmed lives in their presence and at times are subject to abuse as result of their mothers's excesses. Each chapter is told by a different character so that we are able to know the perspective of all the people--adults, children and the notably perceptive viewpoint of Willetta and Chaney, the Black couple who live on the Walker's property and work for them. The contrast between the two families, so close yet so very far apart, is interesting and a moral foil that exposes the excesses of the priviledged class in a not very flattering light. Overall, Little Altars Everywhere is a great read whether one chooses to delve into the deeper realms or simply enjoy it as a novel of family and relationships rich with humor and life. Read it, and then go ASAP to The Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood, a charming and entertaining book about Vivi and her friends and all their children that will keep you laughing and crying from beginning to end.

Rating:
Summary: Semi-dark and disturbing, NOT the Ya Ya's...
Review: I read this book after the Ya Ya Sisterhood and it changed my perceptions of that book too. Vivi was way more disturbed than you were lead to believe. If you loved the Ya Ya's Don't read this dark explanation of their lives.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Divine Secrets of Ya Ya Sisterhood
Review: I liked this book more than the latter release of the bestseller of Ya Yas. I am repulsed by Vivi and feel sorry for her family and all that know her. She is mean and selfish and traumatized her children. I pity her and find her to be a villainess, an interesting one at that. This book was easier to read, more consistent and I kept the pages turning in comparison to the the Ya Ya book. It's lighter and when you add reading this book with the Ya-Ya book... both books together is a decent time if you have the time. Read both if you must since it's more worthwhile than reading just one or the other.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, when is the next one.
Review: Little Altars and Ya Ya were the best novels I have read this year. The friendships and family were very entertaining. I laughed and cried.

Rating:
Summary: Had tears in my eyes the whole time
Review: Wow. I'm breathless. I read the last page of this book no more than five minutes ago, and I'm absolutely speechless. I didn't even realize how much meaning this book would have, and how much it would touch me. I actually wanted to crawl inside the pages and hug those children and cry their tears. LITTLE ALTARS EVERYWHERE was very poignant and powerful, funny and sad. Wow...this one will be with me for a long, long time.

Rating:
Summary: A very good lead in to The Divine Secrets
Review: It at first started slow I thought but I must say the feeling in Rebecca's words and thoughts are very pulling on your thoughts and feelings and again a very important begining to The Divine Secrets- and I believe so much more could be done with both pieces

Rating:
Summary: a mishmosh of alcoholism, child abuse, and immature adults
Review: I was very much disappointed . It was a soap opera told from varying points of view but with one major intention to shock the reader with its descriptions of alcoholism, child abuse, and adult irresponsibility. The Yayas' bonding seemed to be only an excuse to escape the confines of marriage and motherhood. The title and the description of its significance appears to be a pathetic attempt to add literary value to a novel without it.

Rating:
Summary: excellent read
Review: Rebecca Wells I want to thank you for this book. I grew up with alcoholic parents and you really hit the nail on the head with this one. In more ways than one I relate to this book. Siddalee saw things in the perspective i did when i was a child .Really the only thing missing was a tear jerking Hank Williams record. Thank you again.

Rating:
Summary: Hmm... Disturbing
Review: Well..you coudln't really say it's an excellant novel because the Divine Secrets is definitely better. I too support a reader who said that everyone should read the Divine secrets first before reading this. Because this is really just a compilation of short stories of the Walker Family.

It doesn't really tell much. BUt as a short stories collection, I still find something to laugh at...

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and funny book until the sad ending
Review: The book had many delightful parts (my favorite being that when Buggy's dog's babies were "kidnapped") that made me want to keep on reading. I couldn't put it down up until Part 2. That's when the fun and entertainment ended. The plot became depressing and the delightful charaters I thought I knew so well disappeared. This could have been one of my favorite books if it hadn't been for the dark conclusion.