Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Yay for Ya Ya!
Review: Besides having a well written storyline and strong female characters, you will feel part of the sisterhood by the end of the first chapter! This is a great book about the dynamics of mother/daughter relationships. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a heartwarming story as well as something to think about afterwards! The Ya-Ya's will be in your heart forever!

Rating:
Summary: A better movie!!!
Review: I didn't wait for the library's copies to be returned and I wish I did.
Siddalee Walker is one of the least sympathetic characters I've ever read. Though they are spoiled and self-centered, the Ya Ya Sisterhood saves this book.
Here's an interesting fact: most of what happens in the movie does not happen in the book, and the movie makes tons more sense. Normally I am a purist when it comes to movies made from books, but I much prefered the movie version.
Most of the dialogue in the book didn't make it into the movie, which is good because Wells is too concerned with making things sound beautiful and poetic, so much that the dialogue is barely believable. ...
And not everyone speaks French, thanks.

Rating:
Summary: A woman in search of herself
Review: Siddalee Walker, a successful director, has called off her engagement to Connor McGill, the man she loves. She feels that a difficult childhood with her unpredictable mother, Vivi, has damaged her to the point that she is unable to give Connor the kind of love she feels that he deserves. This is brought to a head when a reporter for the "New York Times" takes some of Sidda's comments about her mother out of context and prints them in an article which infuriates and offends Vivi. Sidda retreats to a cabin on the Olympic pensinsula of Washington and begins a self-imposed exile where she tries to figure out her mother and what motivates her. She is aided by a scrapbook which her mother sends her which contains the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" which consists of Vivi and her 3 lifelong friends. Page by page Sidda begins to discover some things about her mother which she never knew, but the scrapbook also raises some new questions in her mind. Like the Cavalry, the 3 Ya-Yas appear from their Louisiana homes and fill in the blanks for Sidda, explaining some things she has never understood. This books contains a lot of wisdom and truths about the mother/daughter relationship and about close and special friendships among women.

Rating:
Summary: Hearty humour and impassioned characters
Review: Though not neccesarily divine, this sorority read engages with a dosage of irreverent fun and adventure - and probes deep inside to explore the psyche of a mother-and-daughter relationship gone awry. Sidda Walker, overwhelmed by her theatrical success is forced to evaluate happiness and kinship when a marriage proposal from her colleague Conner arrives. Vivi Walker under her daughter's ardent persuasion sends her a book that records the memories and secrets of the Ya-Ya sisterhood. The circle of friends including Necie, Caro and Teensy will charm you with their individual charms. This book however is more evocative on its insights to personal experiences and growth - understanding heartaches and emotional traumas. The poignancy of Vivi's torment with her motherhood and problems lends an emotional core to the energetic story. Rebecca Wells pens the story with heart and humour - and ultimately beautiful characters residing in the town of Louisiana.

Rating:
Summary: true depiction of friends of the heart
Review: I picked up this book after being told by my best friend that it "makes you proud to be a woman" and "cherishes the ability to have such amazing girlfriends in our lives". Although I found that the prime locale for reading this tender novel to be on the beaches of Negril, Jamaica (as I read it on my honeymoon), any locale really will do. *wink* The characters were intense and realistic, as was the dialogue. Wells captured the spirit of the south in such a way that I wished I was living in Louisiana and not Illinois...felt quite deprived, actually. I also enjoyed the pull-and-push relationship between Sidda and Vivi...although harmonious relations between mothers and daughters are rarely written about, this time, you could understand where each was coming from. This book is an absolute joy and definitely a wonderful summer read...with maybe some iced sweet tea.

Rating:
Summary: You've GOT to be kidding...
Review: I realize that this book has gotten some rave reviews, but for the life of me I cannot see the point. Here we have a bunch of spoiled, rich, white dixie (ditsie) debs (and one rather unlikeable offspring) eating and DRINKING their way through this story. I did enjoy the descriptive prose regarding the "sisters" as young girls, but beyond that, I found the characters one dimensional, totally self-absorbed, and nobody I would want to know. Perennial alcholics do not, in my humble opinion, make the most appealing sorts.

Rating:
Summary: I laughed and I cried
Review: I was consumed by this book the moment I picked it up...I loved it and couldn't put it down. I found my heart aching and also rejoicing for these fictional characters. I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my life over a book I was reading. This book and the characters inside it have truly been burned into my mind and I feel like I went through what they did. I truly loved this book. I would recommend it

Rating:
Summary: Classic Southern Tale
Review: This book was about many things but what I ended up thinking about is how everyone experiences different lives and how we all get to the same place. We all ask ourselves the same questions "Who are we and what our experiences have made us". Everyone's experiences are different and there is no "NORMAL", just different. Very insightful. It wasn't about the characters being good or bad persons, it was about living our lives the best we know how. With what we know and what we have to work with. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to my friends.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended to any of my "sisters"
Review: Anyone who has a best friend, or more than one, can understand the bond the ya-ya's share. Through life's hardships, husbands, addictions, and children these women were there for eachother. Not only did they care deeply for their sisterhood but for all those involved on the out skirts. Their passion for life and fun got them into trouble at times, but also taught everyone to lighten up a bit. I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written and thought provoking on the subject of all female relationships. Which are at time more precious than those with the opposite sex. It wasn't the laugh out loud comedy read I had anticipated, but once finished I had a deep appreciation for all of my "sisters" and the relationship I cherish with my mom. And, I deeply wish I could be a ya-ya.

Rating:
Summary: A good read...
Review: "The Divine Secrets of Ya Ya Sisterhood" was a vacation read, and I enjoyed it from start to finish, without loving it. Wells is a competant writer, with a good sense of scene and a nice way of tying up the story (the movie, which I saw recently, didn't fare as well). I don't share the viewpoint that the women in this novel are spoiled -- in fact, I think there is a kind of pathos to their lives, and they are far from unsympathetic. I enjoyed the Catholic themes, and the emphasis on the Holy Mother (not a character who gets a lot of attention in fiction these days).

Overall a good read, worth a look.