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Summary: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Review: Loved it! I laughed, cried and found the true meaning of what it takes to be a Ya-Ya. Heres a book that reminds you that we all have special Ya-Ya's in our life. Don't let another minute pass you by, pick this book up...and escape into the world of fiction.
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Summary: perpectives from a daughter of an alcoholic
Review: This book nailed me. I stuck with it because a beloved friend told me it was wonderful. I realize, however, that I loved it for different reasons than she did. The portrayal of the emotional scars of growing up in a family with mental illness was very accurate. For any one with a history of alcoholism in their family: This book can be tough, it can trigger some unattractive memories, but it also can help you start down the path of forgiveness.
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Summary: Underwhelming
Review: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood shows occasional glimmers of what could have been an interesting tale. Few novels approach the difficult topic of forgiveness, especially between parents and children. The relationship between the abusive mother and the scarred daughter is shown as a complicated one, without simple feelings or trivial resolutions. Unfortunately, the problems with the novel are simply too pervasive to allow the complications of the mother - daughter relationship to be fully explored. Instead, we are presented with the colorful tales of the ya-yas, and a heroine who is so utterly self-absorbed she becomes unsympathetic. Furthermore, the characters seem to be posing and posturing their way throughout the novel. The whole thing ultimately reads a bit like a made-for-TV movie complete with the far too perfect hero, and the scarred yet beautiful heroine. The metaphors are obvious, the sensory detail often cliched, and the characters often seem like hackneyed sterotypes. I finished the book because I was reading it for a book group, but had I not had a good reason to stick with it, I'm not sure it would really have held my interest.
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Summary: keep it short
Review: WHY DO PEOPLE FEEL IT NECCESSARY TO SUMMARIZE THE BOOK IN THESE REVIEWS? KEEP SHORT AND SWEET. WHAT WAS YOUR OPINION OF THE BOOK. PERIOD. YOU'RE NOT PROFESSIONAL BOOK REVIEWERS. HOW PRETENTIOUS CAN YOU GET?
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Summary: One star for the cover...
Review: Actually, though I am Jewish and from Boston, I could relate to the first chapter of this book. I, too, came from a background where my mother had the same friends from kindergarten on up, and my mother was also not the friendliest of mommies, to put it mildly. However, I couldn't get past the cutsie-poo speech mannerisms of this book. I have some southern friends and I'm sure my Boston accent grates on their nerves; well, their dripping "belle" thing gets on mine. I think this must be a really fun book for certain women who live below the Mason-Dixon line. I, for one, will eschew it, y'all.
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Summary: Kudos to the Ya Yas
Review: Living far from my birthgrounds of the Mississippi River area I was charmed by Ms. Wells accurate betrayal of life in the south. The richness of female friendships, my mothers--my own, is beautifully woven into a tale of great sadness and great joy. Yes, you will cry and you will laugh deep belly fulls and when you come up for air you should help create some little ya yas be it your little girl--granddaughter--neighbors kids,etc. and may the magic of friendship live on and on. And Rebecca, thanks, for the memories.....
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Summary: Great read
Review: I'm surprised to see so many negative reviews. I loved the story about the Ya-Yas. It is simply charming, and touching how the author is trying to reach her mother and does it through the ones who know her most- her friends. I couldn't put it down, and cried my eyes out at the end. No big miracle endings or heart-wrenching tragedies, if you're looking for that. Just a mother-daughter conflict set in the South.
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Summary: Ya-ya sisterhood
Review: I adored this book. I want all my girlfriends to read it, especially those that are grappling with the heartache caused by a distant parent. It is a book that reminds you that everyone has emotional scars from something. It reminds you of the precious bonds you have with the girls from your childhood. I sobbed through the last three chapters, simply because it touched me so much.
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Summary: A "Ya Ya" Huge Disappointment
Review: I was so excited to read this book after seeing several favorable reviews of it here at Amazon. When I was about half way through the book, I wondered why people thought it was so good. Sure, there are some great little stories about the women who call themselves the Ya-Yas, but I found most of them to be quite unbelievable. In addition, most of these stories seem to have no real connection, except that they were all experiences the Ya Yas had. I was not able to finish this books because I felt like I was running in circles... the book was going nowhere fast. I spoke to the librarian at the school where I teach, and she felt the exact same way. My advice? Don't waste your money.
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Summary: Not as light and frothy as the title implies
Review: I had resisted this book for a long time because the title seemed silly. But I'd heard from several people that it was a good book, and I was ready to read what I thought might be light and frothy entertainment. I was immediately caught up in the story, however, and soon discovered that this was not a light book at all. Sidda, who was brought up in Louisiana is, at age 40, is a successful theatrical director who has a falling out with her mother, Vivi, when she reveals too much of her childhood in a New York Times interview and her mother is depicted in print as a "tap dancing child abuser". Sidda is so deeply upset by this that she postpones her upcoming wedding and goes off to an island off the coast of Seattle to be alone. Her mother sends her a copy of a scrapbook entitled "The Devine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and gradually Sidda discovers more and more about her mother as well as about herself. The four women who call themselves the Ya Yas developed their friendship as children in the 1930s and have been friends ever since. They've kept their friendship through their teenage years in the early forties, their marriages and motherhood in the 50s and have continued their friendship right up to the present, being there for each other through a lifetime of living. The story is really Vivi's story though, and the place of the three friends in this novel is of important, but yet supporting players. With ultimate skill, the author brings the reader into the deep south. There's humidity and sweet smelling flowers; there's love and cruelty; there's the inequality of the racial relationships, there's funny and poignant stories; there's deep characterization. And, most of all there is friendship between the Ya Yas. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I wanted to know what happened next. I wanted to learn more and more about Vivi. The structure of incident and flashback worked for me. And I found myself getting into the skin of a Scarlet O'Hara-type character who I might not like if I met on the street. She's a complex person. And VERY imperfect. And that is where the strength of this book lies. Recommended.
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