Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

by Wells, Rebecca

First published 2004

Siddalee Walker directs a successful play, but when a New York Times interview describes her mother Vivi as a "tap-dancing child abuser," everything falls apart. Vivi Abbott Walker, a proud member of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, cuts ties with her eldest daughter completely. Sidda desperately seeks her mother's forgiveness and calls off her wedding plans. The situation seems hopeless until the other Ya-Yas intervene. They persuade Vivi to send Sidda a precious scrapbook filled with memories from their shared girlhood, the collection known as "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." Through these mementos, Sidda begins to piece together her mother's complicated past. She discovers that understanding her family's painful history matters less than learning to forgive. The messy, imperfect nature of maternal love becomes clear as Sidda confronts the truth about her upbringing and her own capacity for acceptance.

Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, second-chance

384 pages · ebook · HarperCollins Publishers

Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse

More by Wells, Rebecca

• The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder
• Little Altars Everywhere
• Ya-Yas in Bloom

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