YA-Yas in Bloom

by Rebecca Wells

Book Overview

Rebecca Wells's wonderful third book in her Ya-Ya trilogy, which includes Little Altars Everywhere and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, is sure to provide reading that makes you laugh and cry, a book that will break your heart and mend it again.

Ya-Yas in Bloom reveals the roots of the Ya-Yas' friendship in the 1930s, following Vivi, Teensy, Caro and Necie through sixty years of marriage, child-raising, and hair-raising family secrets.

When four-year-old Teensy Whitman prisses one time too many and stuffs a big old pecan up her nose, she sets off the chain of events that lead Vivi, Teensy, Caro, and Necie to become true sister-friends. Using as narration the alternating voices of Vivi and the Petite Ya-Yas, Siddalee and Baylor Walker, as well as other denizens of Thornton, Louisiana, Wells show us the Ya-Yas in love and at war with convention. Through crises of faith and hilarious lapses of parenting skills, brushes with alcoholism and glimpses of the dark reality of racial bigotry, the Ya-Ya values of unconditional loyalty, high style, and Louisiana sass shine through.

But in the Ya-Yas' inimitable way, these four remarkable women also teach their children about the Mysteries: the wonder of snow in the deep South, the possibility that humans are made of stars, and the belief that miracles do happen. And they need a miracle when old grudges and wounded psyches lead to a heartbreaking crime...and the dynamic web of sisterhood is the only safety net strong enough to hold families together and endure.

After two bestsellers and a blockbuster movie, the Ya-Yas have become part of American culture -- icons for the power of women's friendship. Ya-Yas in Bloom continues the saga, giving us more Ya-Ya lore, spun out in the rich patois of the Louisiana bayou country and brim full of the Ya-Ya message to embrace life and each other with joy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060953659
• ISBN13: 9780060953652
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Pure entertainment

Loved it! judith Ivey did a wonderful job.The story skipped around a bit, but so what. I listened to it in the car while running errands. It made the time fly. Very enjoyable.

I loved it!

I was hesitant to buy this, since it had so many poor reviews, but I loved the other two Ya-Ya books, so purchased it to take on vacation. I found it to have the same charm and humor as the other two books. The only thing I can see that was missing was the dark side of Vivi and the despair the children went through in the other two books. This didn't bother me in the least, in fact it made it all the more fun. Maybe that means the book was lacking in substance, but I can do without that. If you love the Ya-Yas for their humor and quirkiness, I don't think you will be disappointed in Ya-Yas in Bloom.

A Light,Pleasant Read

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't "dark and heavy" like the first book. I enjoyed the little stories that humanized the Ya-Ya's as somewhat normal people who just want to have a little fun. I highly recommend this book. It would make a great beach read!

Well, I loved it!

I just finished this book, and frankly, if you're not a Southerner, maybe you just don't get it. The stories were hard and funny and bittersweet and crazy and precious and very close to home. I don't know anything about Ms. Wells' upbringing, but she's got more flavor in these stories than peas and cornbread. Seems like she's been there! My favorite stories involved Baylor and the "code" of the men and their hunting. It's all so true. This book made me appreciate my Southern roots.

Comfort Food

Although this book may not be up to the previous ones, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I appreciated that it was more in the form of stories than a continous story line, that was the only way I could put it down! It you want the best Ya-Ya's book of the series, this is not it. If you want to revisit old friends, pick it up. It is well written, an easy and enjoyable read. It also gives more insight into the the characters, some of whom were very marginable in the movie.