Ya-Yas in Bloom

Rebecca Wells

If you haven't read Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, you won't appreciate Rebecca Wells' Ya-Yas in Bloom. The full force of the Ya-Yas can't be appreciated in this book. But...

Ya-Yas in Bloom takes vignettes from three generations of the lives of four strong Louisiana women and their families. It starts with the four women - Vivi, Teensy, Caro, and Necie in their meetings as 4-year-olds. There are stories about Vivi's children, the Petite Ya-Yas. And there are stories about the Tres Petite Ya-Yas, the grandchildren.

The original meetings of the Ya-Yas are a hoot. Young Teensy is a princess and demands attention at all times. She shoves a large pecan up her nose. Her mother has to take her to the doctor to get it removed. Vivi's mother has taken her to the doctor for an earache. Later the two friends see Necie in church and have to check her out. Caro is added at bit later when she pretends to be a dog with them.

Some of the stories are cuter than others. Yet all interweave into the lives of the families. There is the time that Vivi accidentally knocks over a revered statue at their Catholic church. Another time a rare snowfall in Thornton gets young Shep too excited. Sidda discovers her life calling. Baylor is a Little Buckaroo on the local children's cowboy show.

The Ya-Ya women are a major force. Their husbands are swept along and the children are caught up. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood shows how Vivi's children were affected by some of the maelstrom. This novel shows the other side of living with Vivi Abbott Walker. She can be a very caring mother. She is a loyal friend.

Ya-Yas in Bloom doesn't have the impact of the first book. Yet it gives an interesting look into the lives of this unusual family and group of people. It ends with a vignette of grown Baylor having a Ya-Ya Christmas gathering at his home. That final story shows the strength of these families despite the troubles of life. The original four Ya-Yas built a love for life and family that can't be shaken. The books covers the good and the bad in the families' lives. I found it interesting and heartwarming to follow these people in their lives.