Rating: 
Summary: Can I give it a 6-star rating?
Review: Delicious, glorious, fabulous... I can't come up with enough adjectives to describe this book. I have always been fascinated with Louisiana and the Cajun/Creole culture. This "darling" book thrusts you right into the center of life by the bayou from the 1930's until the present. The Ya-Ya's are childhood friends who remain together through thick and thin, through abuse, alcoholism, war and death. Their story, and that of Sidda Lee, one of the "Petite Ya-Ya's," are entwined like spanish moss on the live oaks. {Here is my only gripe: one chapter is dragged right out of "Mommy Dearest," and if you have read that novel you will know exactly what I mean. But hey, with the rest of the "Divine Secrets" being so, well, divine, I forgive Ms. Wells this small transgression. :-)} An absolute gem of a book. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Review: The beginning is a little slow, but it pulls together. I'm a little younger than the Ya-Ya sisters but I relate to the era. Southern "ladies" were always a mystery to me. When I moved to Mississippi in 1955 for a brief time people asked me how I liked the East. The response from this West Coast lady was, "I don't know, I have never been there." There were many reasons to disclaim being a southerner from my experience. I was appalled that black people were discriminated against by high rents for shacks and schools with broken windows and scraggly playgrounds were touted to be at least equal and probably better than the schools the whites attended. This book gives me a little better understanding of how such discriminatory practices were not only practiced but perpetuated with a distinct blindness for the facts. The relationships among the four ladies, from early childhood to elderly is well done. Vivi is an interesting study. I have giggled and wept as I read. I find it contradictory within myself to love and respect those characters when their values seem to be so surface oriented. "Seem" is the operative word.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I loved this book. It refreshed my desire to have many close girlfriends with whom I could do really fun things, and has made me a better friend. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed it!
Rating: 
Summary: Quite a Heartwarming Book
Review: This is a heartwarming book as it describes the differences between a mother and daughter. Daughter leaves home and mother pretends that she doesn't want much to do with her anymore. The book is quite funny, but sad at the same time. It's definitely a "chick book". I received it as a gift from my sister. I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise. I thought the story was good, the southern charm wonderful, and Sidda's fiance is a dream. A major difference is how this book is presented. The scrapbook of the Ya-Ya's is the common thread thoughout, and it is quite effective as a plot welder.
Rating:
Summary: Ya Ya Yes
Review: At first I couldn't decide. This is one of those books where you either love the story, or consider it melodramatic trash. The YaYa Sisterhood is a group of older women who have been friends since childhood. They've been together through gay husbands, institutionalization, emphasema, childbirth, and now old age (well not that old). The center of the YaYa's is Vivi. A woman who's summer uniform every year is white shorts, white sneakers, and a diamond bracelet. Vivi was in love but the boy got a silly notion to join the army to please his dad, which causes a mental breakdown of his wonderfully fabulous Creole mother, one of the Yaya's mother, who rescues Vivi from this "school" that treats her like a prisoner after they attended the premiere of Gone with the Wind with Vivi's black maid, only so that Vivi can help a young, poor, widow raise money by selling cheap cosmetics and buying elepant rides for her kids. As an aside, Vivi's daughter is at a crossroads in her love life because she believes she "doesn't know how to love", yet learns to love life through reliving the fantastic journey of the YaYa's. Ya Ya is a delicious story about southern women and their friendships. A reviewer once said this book was so popular because of the layers within the characters and the deep bond of friendship that runs through this book. Yes, after reading it, I allowed myself to remember when my friends and I would say "friends forever" and really believe it. Love it or hate it, you won't forget this book.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Example of Female Relationships
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It told the story of four friends growing up and how their relationships with themselves and others affected their lives as adults and their relationships with their children. The story revolved around Vivi and her daughter, Sidda. Sidda is unsure of her engagement to her fiance and the group of friends (the Ya-Yas) assist in helping her understand why her relationship with Vivi is what is holding her back. This book demonstrates how a true friendship can overcome flaws and mistakes and how friends can support you over time. Vivi is not perfect, but she makes it through her life. She is certainly not a perfect mother, but Sidda learns how to forgive and love her mother. If you are a fan of the "imperfect" south, this is a wonderful book for you. If you don't like books that fly through time and use flashbacks constantly, this might not be the best book for you. Two problems with the book - one was that it had so many characters, I had trouble keeping track. I also had some trouble remembering which "Ya-Ya" was which. The other issue was that the reader saw Vivi's story unravel, Sidda never does. This is part of the story - Sidda accepts her mother without knowing the full truth, but for some reason this bothers me. Overall, a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Ya-Ya Review
Review: I, myself, am a southern girl and my friendships are somewhat like those of Vivi, Necie, Caro, and Teensy. I'm a Vivi, loud and boisterious, unafraid of offending. Hailee is Necie, careful and fun, Jennifer would be Caro and Connie would be Teensy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am buying Connie, Hailee, and Jennifer a copy. If you have ever had a special group of friends that you couldn't live without or if you are vying for the remnants of a southern summer, read this book
Rating:
Summary: Steel Magnolias
Review: Rebecca Wells grabbed me in the first two pages and I was hooked. The story covers the life of a mother (Vivi) and her friends, the Ya-Ya's, and a mother daughter relationship between Vivi and Sidda. Seeing the life of Sidda and Vivi emerge from the pages of a long kept scrapbook was magical. Vivi's love for Sidda is hidden but plain all at the same time. Sidda's fear of not knowing how to love is poignant. The strength the Ya-Ya's draw from each other is delightful. The Ya-Ya's made me laugh and cry with their antics. Their unconditional love and support for each other was powerful. I recommend this book to all.
Rating:
Summary: KB reviews YaYa Sisterhood
Review: Women who value their friendships with other women will love this book. Women who take time out of their busy lives to vacation with their women friends will love this book. YaYa Sisterhood is truly food for the soul. It reminds us of the value of life-long friendships and of the special bond between girlfriends.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent but cliche in a way
Review: I liked it, but the main character Sidda made me ill. She was a simpering, spoiled yuppie with a great job and a loving fiance, and none of it was ever good enough because the poor little rich girl was hit by her psychotic mother once. I sympathized more with her mother and her past rather than Sidda's present life. The use of similes and metaphors and the ending were simply gorgeous, and I could smell the tropical flowers and the humidity of the bayou rested upon my face in the heat.
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