Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

This article is about the novel. For the film based on the novel, see Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (film).
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

First edition
Author Rebecca Wells
Country United States
Language English
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication date
 22 May 1996
Media type Print
Pages 368 p. (First edition hardcover)
ISBN 0-06-017328-9
OCLC 34026753
813/.54 20
LC Class PS3573.E4937 D58 1996
Preceded by Little Altars Everywhere(prequel)
Followed by Ya-Yas in Bloom, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a 1996 novel written by Rebecca Wells. It follows the novel Little Altars Everywhere. In 2005, Wells wrote Ya-Yas in Bloom and then The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood tells the story of the downward spiraling mother-daughter relationship of Vivian Walker and Siddalee Walker.

Plot summary

When Vivi, Teensy, Necie, and Caro were younger, they created the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The Ya-Yas caused shenanigans and chaos everywhere, but also had a sisterly bond that could fix anything. Now, at 70 years old, the Ya-Yas are determined to fix the struggling relationship between mother and daughter.

Siddalee “Sidda” Walker, a play director, has never had a smooth relationship with her mother, Vivi; but when a New York Times reporter twists Siddalee’s words around in an article about her recent play, Vivi and Sidda’s mother-daughter relationship goes spiraling down. Not only is Sidda having trouble with her mother, but she is also having trouble with her fiancé, Conner. Sidda postpones the wedding. Because of that and Sidda’s new fear to love, she runs off to her friend’s family cabin at Lake Quinault.

When Vivi and the other “Ya-Yas” find out about this, they decide to send Sidda the “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” scrapbook to help Sidda understand their lives, and more importantly, her own mother’s life, better.

Characters

Leader of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned “Queen Dancing Creek.” She is unhappily married to Shepherd Walker. When Vivi was younger, she fell deeply in love with Teensy's brother, Jack, but he died in a plane crash in WWII. Vivi, heartbroken, settled with Shepley, whom she then married and had four children with.

A member of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned “Princess Naked as a Jaybird.” She is considered the second-in-command of the sisterhood. Her mother, Genevieve St. Claire, was a French woman, but her jingoist father would never let them speak French in the house. She is Jack’s little sister.

A member of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned “Countess Singing Cloud.” Necie grew up with strict, racist parents, but is the most gentle of the Ya-Yas.

A member of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned “Duchess Soaring Hawk.” Caro is the only Ya-Ya to contact Sidda during Sidda and Vivi’s fight.

Oldest daughter of Vivi Walker and fiancé of Conner McGill. Sidda is a play director. After an interview with the New York Times, Sidda and her mother stop speaking to each other. She postpones her engagement to Connor and escapes to a friend's family cabin in Washington State. The Ya-Yas surprise her there and help her to learn why her mother was the way she was while Sidda was growing up.

Sidda’s fiancé, whom she loves deeply. He doesn’t understand Sidda’s constant fear of love, nor why she will not talk to Vivi.

Vivi’s husband. Though Vivi never truly loved Shep like she did Jack, Shepherd loves Vivi and only wants her to be happy.

Vivi’s childhood love and Teensy’s brother. He joined the Air Force to please his father in WWII, but died in a plane crash.

Vivi’s mother and wife of Taylor Charles Abbott. She was a devout Catholic and never really loved Taylor and vice versa. Buggy was always jealous of the attention and love Taylor showered upon Vivi, enough to even accuse her of incest as a teenager.

Vivi’s father and husband of Mary Katherine Bowman Abbott. He favored Vivi over her mother and gave Vivi a ring on her sixteenth birthday to prove that. He used the belt with his kids.

Son of Vivi Walker and brother of Sidda. He stops talking to Sidda after the New York Times article.

Son of Vivi Walker and brother of Sidda. He is the only sibling of Sidda’s who still talks to her after the New York Times article.

Daughter of Vivi Walker and sister of Sidda. She stops talking to Sidda after the New York Times article.

Film Adaption

Director Callie Khouri adapted The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood into a film in 2002. This became Rebecca Wells’ first novel to be adapted into a film. Sandra Bullock (Sidda) and Ellen Burstyn (Vivi) starred as the two main characters of the film as well as James Garner (Big Shep) and Maggie Smith (Caro).

Awards and Critical Praise

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. A number of critics praised the book; The Washington Post stated that the book is, “A very entertaining and ultimately deeply moving novel about the complex bonds between a mother and a daughter.”

See also

References

    External links