Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
| Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood | |
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| Author(s) | Rebecca Wells |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Publication date | 22 May 1996 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 368 p. (First edition hardcover) |
| ISBN | 0-06-017328-9 |
| OCLC Number | 34026753 |
| Dewey Decimal | 813/.54 20 |
| LC Classification | 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 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.
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[edit] Plot summary
When Vivi, Teensy, Necie, and Caro were younger, they created the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The Ya-Ya’s caused shenanigans and chaos everywhere, but also had a sisterly bond that could fix anything. Now, at 70 years old, the Ya-Ya’s 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 twist Siddalee’s words around in an article about her recent play, Siddalee and Vivi’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 between her and Conner. Between that and Sidda’s now fear to love, she runs off to her friend’s family cabin at Lake Quinault.
When Vivi and the other “Ya-Ya’s” 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 mother’s life, better.
[edit] Characters
- Vivian “Vivi” Abbott Walker
Leader of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned by the Ya-Ya’s “Queen Dancing Creek.” She is married to Sheply Walker. When Vivi was younger, she dated Teensy brother, Jack. Jack and Vivi were in love, but when Jack died in a plane crash in WWII. Vivi, heartbroken, settled with Sheply Walker, whom she then married and had 4 kids with.
- Aimee "Teensy" Malissa Whitman-Claiborne
A member of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned by the Ya-Ya’s “Princess Naked as a Jaybird.” She is Jack’s little sister and daughter of Genevieve St. Claire-Whitman. She grew up with a French mother, but a very strict father who would never let them speak French in the house.
- Denise "Necie" Rose Kelleher-Ogden
A member of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned by the Ya-Ya’s “Countess Singing Cloud.” Necie grew up with strict, racist parents.
- Caroline "Caro" Eliza Bennett-Brewster
A member of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and crowned by the Ya-Ya’s “Duchess Soaring Hawk.” Caro is the only Ya-Ya to contact Sidda during Sidda and Vivi’s fight.
- Siddalee "Sidda" Walker
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. Then she decides to postpone her wedding and runs off to an old cabin in the mountains.
- Connor McGill
Sidda’s fiancé. He doesn’t understand Sidda’s constant fear of love and marriage. Connor also doesn’t understand why Sidda will not talk to her mother.
- Shepley James "Big Shep" Walker
Vivi’s husband. Shep was a sort of replacement for Jack; however, Vivi never truly loved Shep like she did Jack.
- Jacques "Jack" Whitman
Vivi’s boyfriend, Teensy’s brother, and Genevieve’s son. Jack was in love with Vivi. He went to the Air Force because of his father. In WWII, he died in a plane crash.
- Mary Katherine Bowman "Buggy" Abbott
Vivi’s mother and wife of Taylor Charles Abbott. She was a holy woman in the book. She accused Vivi of doing sinful acts with her husband.
- Taylor Charles Abbot
Vivi’s father and husband of Mary Katherine Bowman Abbott. He favored Vivi over her mother and gave Vivi a ring on her 16th birthday to prove that.
- Shepley "Little Shep" Walker, Jr
Son of Vivi Walker and brother of Sidda. He stops talking to Sidda after the New York Time’s article.
- Baylor Walker
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 Time’s article.
- Tallulah "Lulu" Walker
Daughter of Vivi walker and sister of Sidda. She stops talking to Sidda after the New York Time’s article.
[edit] Words In Context
- Ya-Ya:
They got the word from Teensy’s mother, Genevieve. Genevieve said that when girls talk at once it’s called “gumbo ya-ya.” The four girls then made up the word and started to use it on a regular basis.
- Ya-Ya-No:
This is another phrase that the main characters made up. On page 27 of the book, it explains that this means pathetic.
- Vivi-fied:
Came from one of the main character’s name. The Ya-Ya’s would say that something would need to be “Vivi-fied” if a situation needs to be made more lively.
- Re-Vivi-Fication:
Comes from the word “Vivi-fied”. It means that something that used to be lively
- Vive-le-roi:
A phrase that means “Long live Vivi the Queen!”
- Petites Ya-Ya:
The children of the Ya-Ya sisterhood.
- The Kiss of Life:
Also called “mouth-to-mouth re-vivification.” Another phrase for “mouth-to-mouth resurrection.”
[edit] 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).
[edit] Awards and Critical Praise
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood became a #1 New York Times bestseller. A number of critics praised the books; The Washington Post states that the book is, “A very entertaining and ultimately deeply moving novel about the complex bonds between a mother and a daughter.”
