Rebecca Wells Books

This third collection of Ya-Ya stories was as beautiful, poignant, funny and sad as the first two. I had to keep a pencil by my side in order to underline the especially beautiful turns of phrase and, believe me, there were many.

I loved the first YaYa book, enjoyed the second, and hated this one. It had no story, it resembled a book of short stories but not enjoyable ones. Clearly the author just wanted to make some quick money or something, I can't think of another reason why she would have written this. I had liked and cared about the characters, and in this book I couldn't stand any of them.

Loved the story...very entertaining. The copy I purchased is in excellent condition. Thanks to my seller!

This is Louisiana native, Rebecca Wells' third installment into the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Saga. Wells, who is also an actor and playwright, has been riding high on the success of the bestseller Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood which has been translated into 23 languages since its release in 1996.

If you are not familiar with the Ya-Yas, they are four Louisiana women who've been friends since childhood (as young as 4) in the 1930s. Once a Ya-Ya, always a Ya-Ya. It even gets passed down through lineage producing Petite Ya-Yas (their children) and Tres Petites Ya-Yas (their grandchildren). Ya-Yas hold friendship and family at the top of their list of values along with "unconditional loyalty, high-style and southern sass".

Ya-Yas in Bloom starts off with family tree diagrams for each Ya-Ya, Vivi, Caro, Teensy and Necie. As I continued to read I found them to be a definite asset, having to refer to them numerous times. The following chapters are divided into four sections titled: Sowing Sisterhood Seeds, Tending Young Buds, Bruised Plantings, and A Bountiful Garden.

Ya-Yas in Bloom continues to languish on the emotional ties present amongst women and the bond of "true sister-friends". At page three I decided I was going to like this book because of the voice. The opening story was narrated by Vivi who's 68 going on 49. Unfortunately this feeling didn't hold until the end. More than half way through it began to feel like a bunch of leftover vignettes thrown together. There are just too many narrators: Vivi, Sidda, Baylor and even the occasional omnipresent voice take the reins. Ya-Yas in Bloom reads like the special features on a DVD giving some background on the well-loved characters.

What I enjoyed most about Bloom is the loyalty of the characters to one another and to one another's family. I enjoyed reading about Ya-Ya parties and how everyone prepared for the events; even the children who often hid watching in awe of their Ya-Ya parents. And comical moments which I could relate to, like the chapter on snow in the South when Little Shep was so excited about seeing snow for the first time he ran into the glass pane of a patio door and knocked himself unconscious.

While individually, some of these stories are heart warming as a whole they don't connect into a cohesive novel. If you're an obsessive Ya-Ya fan who just can't get enough or want more background then this book is for you. Otherwise, it's too flat for popular consumption. Reviewed by M. E. Wood.

Meet the Ya Ya Sisterhood in their younger days. Ya Yas in Bloom starts in 1930 with Teensy being taken to the doctor because she has shoved a pecan up her nose. She meets Vivi there and her pecan becomes immortalized for all patients to see in the years to come.

Then Teensy and Vivi plot to meet Necie because they are sure she is the famed Coco Robichaux that Genevieve, Teensy's mother, tells them about all the time. Caro is brought into the group and The Ya Ya Sisterhood is born and will remain true to each other through good times, some wild times and tough times for 60 some years.

The main focus is of the YaYa's as young mothers. The reader feels as if the author is reminiscing even though parts are from a third person's perspective rather than personal memory. However, there are parts that are Sidda's or Baylor's personal memories of events in their lives, too.

All-in-all even, though the telling through the years is somewhat disjointed - it all seems to gel into a charming, sometimes funny, sometimes sad story of life in Louisiana for the Ya Yas and their families. There are parts where the reader laughs out loud at the antics of Teensy and Vivi growing up and then gets amused at their handling of the nuns at the Catholic school when their children get into trouble.

Ms. Well's main characters are sharp witted, confident in themselves and have attitude. Throughout all, no matter what happens good or bad, they are all family and will stick together through thick and thin.

I ordered this book for my mother (who only speaks Spanish). I had read the English version. After she read her copy, I read it. It was pretty faithful to the English version. She enjoyed it a great deal.

I preordered this book, thinking it was a continuance of Little Altars and The Divine Secret of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I did not see anything that told what this book was about. I got it this week and was sick when I saw it was in Spanish. I was waiting for another sequal to the others. I was so disappointed. It is on its way back. I would recommend that someone put in the description that this is the Spanish Edition. Certainly someone that reads Spanish would love it. It would save the seller money. I don't think I am the only one that returned it at the seller's expense.

This is a SPANISH translation of DIVINE SECRETS.... The product description for this book or rather the lack of led me to believe that this is a newly written book which it is not. So unless you would like to read a book in SPANISH this one is not for you.

I made the same mistake as a prior reviewer, thinking this author also wrote Little Altars Everywhere. THIS book is a very poor self-help book. To people suffering from illness it advises me to say, "Think positive thoughts" and "God doesn't always choose to heal us, but his plan is best." To someone grieving the loss of a loved one this book says, "Heaven is a better place since your loved one has arrived" and "Experiencing the death of a loved one can enrich our earthly relationship with Christ." It's not all trite and preachy but a lot of it is. If you're already a thoughtful enough person to want to buy a book like this, then you're probably better off following your own instincts than the advice in this book.

This is a lovely book for what it is....a self help book. I was mistaken and thought it was by the author of Little Altars Everywhere and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, but alas this is not the same Rebecca Wells. Please be advised and do not make the same mistake. Same name but not the same person.

Not nearly as good as the first two in the series. There's a bit of feminist hogwash and gun politics at the end which is distracting from the story. I also didn't like the way she made the original YaYas seem a bit on the deranged side.