Little Altars Everywhere : CD

Rating:
Summary: Contrived, unrealistic, boring
Review: I'm sure to be in the minority in considering this book to be highly over rated. I had no sympathy for the problems of its characters, nor did I find it to be worthy in any way of the best seller status it has attained. Rather, I consider it to be a prime example of the "dumbing down " of the average reader.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT A WONDERFUL READ!
Review: As a South African who know very little about the South of America, this book left me with a wonderful insight into Southern family life in the early '60's. The dialogue is very entertaining and it is one of those books that you just can't put down. Congrats to Rebecca Wells for a fantastic novel! I can hardly wait for the next one.

Rating:
Summary: I'd say it was pretty good
Review: I liked this book a lot, but I found it quite depressing at times, especially towards the end. You found out all these secrets that you really didn't want to read about, like how Vivi abused her kids. I thought after learning that about her, it made her character seem so crazy and deranged. I thought the overall story was great, but the fact that Sidda's parents cared nothing about the kids, only about drinking and fighting, was rather saddening. I haven't read Divine Secrets yet, but I'm planning on it. I hope to get a better outcome after

Rating:
Summary: If This Book Were Champagne It Would Be 5 Star
Review: Fast and lively. How anyone could give this book less than four stars is beyond me. I read straight through and every time I put it down, I rushed back. I'd compare it to Michael Lee West's CRAZY LADIES. Those two books could be kissing cousins. My favorite part in ALTARS was where Buggy, the old grandma, had that crazy poodle with the "babies". I also liked the part where Sidda got her hair cut off by the drunken "ya ya's". Another favorite time was when Vivi drove the station wagon over the flag pole at Girl Scout camp. Opening this book is like opening a treasure chest.

Rating:
Summary: you may curse me, but i did NOT like this book!
Review: I was told to read this before the Divine Secrets, and made the mistake of doing so. The storylines were undeveloped, especially regarding Lulu and a certain storyline with Vivi that I noticed was not a part of Divine Secrets. I ended the book wanting more, and wondering where it was! Divine Secrets was better, but after the bad taste Little Altars left in my mouth, I could hardly enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: One of the greatest books I've ever read. I'm eagerly waited for more. I visited Alexandra, Louisiana and I felt like I could have been in the stories setting. I can't say enough about the book to my friends. When I go to any camp in the bayou area, I'm reminded of the summers that the Ya Yas spent at their camp. Truely great.

Rating:
Summary: Glad I read Divine Secrets First
Review: I looked forward to reading the prequel to Divine Secrets. I'm glad I read Little Alters second. If I had read it first I wouldn't have read the other. Little Alters is more like a bibliography on the Walker family and their friends. I recommend reading Divine Secrets first then getting the history of the family (which is rather dark) to complete the experience.

Rating:
Summary: an 'As I Lay Dying' in Arkansas
Review: I heard that Ms. Wells denied this book was her family's autobiography. I pray she has not told that lie. There are details here that could not have been gleaned from the uninitiated. There are thousands of us who, before we could see over the dash of the car, knew to grab for the ice bucket and the Smirnoff bottle when Mama hit the brakes. Suffocating on the backdraft from cigarettes lit end to end, we cruised with our mothers and their friends like little hostages around our small towns looking for lost high heels and worse. We had stools and steps in front of the bars at our houses and were proud of the dexterity we displayed for guests. Many of us knew how to mix drinks in a moving car- the enormous bottle cradled in our small arms- honored to preform this priestly task, the true eucharist of our alcholic homes. Some of us from the south were rescued from the insanity inside our houses by black employees who dutifully and lovingly served our sick families like the literal angels we now know them to be. We know about whippings- belt whipping, hand whipping, barelegged whipping, know the diffenence between a whipping and a stomping- and all of us know about the flash of light that terrible instant before the crack when Mama slapped us, followed by the dumbness and numbness. We have staggered back to our rooms and sat on our beds in shame and confusion and unspeakable anger. We are also a crowd whose mothers and their attendants- because this is a matriarchy- were our heroes. For all their faults they were our terrible goddesses and ruled over our lives like narcissistic gladiators. We were just audience but our seats were too close to the stage. They smashed around like Vaulkries with no real intent to hurt us. How many times have we heard, fix Mama a drink dear. That's a love, now take the others and go play in the traffic. God they were beautiful to look at but hard to touch. Honey don't touch Mama's dress with your dirty hands. Available to each always, though never to men. They ruined their men, belittled them. They were more beautiful, accomplished and intelligent and they never missed an opportunity to remind their sullen, usually hardworking, well-meaning husbands how much they passed up in marrying them. No, there is precious little fiction here. There are too many of us who know the truth for Rebecca Wells to tell that tale. She cannot, must not be allowed, to own the story and deny it's legacy. For the record- my mother was a brainy, chain smoking small town Zsa Zsa strapped to vodka bottle in her late teens, my father was a rich farmer, the maid who raised us was named Sarah and her husband, Booley, drove Daddy till his drinking got so bad Daddy fired him and hired Marshall away from French Ricard. Marshall was dusty black and Daddy said he looked like Satchmo. Marshall lived with Ma'am who would keep us when there was trouble. And this last- Mama drove a T-bird from '56 on. There were 5 of us counting Sarah. Daddy and Marshall were behind in the Jeep. I tried to read the Ya Ya book but saw instantly that it was derivitive and apologetic and quit on it to save Little Alters from distortion. I will read it, but I have some work to do first.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!!!
Review: This book was a great curl up and read me on a cold day. I know. It took me a day to read it. Loved how the author set the tone by referring to incidents in her other book, Ya Ya's. Gave you a real sense of knowing all the characters.

Rating:
Summary: Even better than Ya-Ya
Review: I think this book was even better than Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. This book was the backgroound -- the meat of the story and more insight into Sidda and the kids. Ya Ya talks of the Vivi and her friends. I loved it.