Ya-Yas in Bloom
Oct 18, 2006
"Ya-Yas In Bloom" by Rebecca Wells.
ISBN 0-06-019534-7
This book is a continuation of the wildly popular books, "Little Altars Everywhere" and "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". This latest installment chronicles the beginnings of the Ya-Ya's friendship from the 1930's to the girls maturity sixty years later. The book weaves their story, beginning in small town Thornton, Louisiana, and takes them through lots of life's decisions. The friendships endure and this bond is the most comforting aspect of the story.
"Burps were just one more thing in the wide world to laugh at. And Necie was starting to see how funny it was to be a little girl alive in this life. She had nine brothers and sisters and dozens of cousins. But now she had two friends who turned church into an adventure. Now she had two real friends who had not found Coco Robichaux but would keep looking for her the rest of their lives. That didn't matter now, though. Nothing mattered except that they had found one another. In the whole wide world, they had found true sister-friends. They would crawl on the ground to reach each other. They would not let one another get away. They would create their own original liturgy, if that's what it work to stay together." This paragraph sums up the strong feelings toward the value of girlfriends to women. From childhood, girls learn the worth of having a best friend, preferably a small group of best friends, with whom life's journey is navigated.
Life is very colorful in southern Louisiana. There is an especially fun story of the first concert performed by The Beatles in Houston, Texas. The dominant Ya-Ya, Viviane Abbott Walker, known as Vivi, takes her children to the concert with her husband, rancher "Shep", at the insistence of her teenage daughter Siddalee.
Many traditional family values are in play with this book. Issues such as Catholic upbringing and mental illness are explored. Most issues are dealt with using a bit of humor and often much poignancy.
I highly recommend this book, along with the two previous books. Pour a glass of sweet tea, find a cozy spot and enjoy the ride.
The author, Rebecca Wells, is a native of Louisiana. Like most Southerners, she enjoys telling a tale. Her love of stories shines throughout her writing.
Review by: Karen
