Divinely Flawed Friendships: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

My Rating: 4 Stars

If you're looking for a good Southern read that has drama, humor, and a little bit of romance, look no further.

I know I'm only...what...30 years late to this book, but nonetheless I loved it! I don't read dramas very often, but this reminded me why I possibly should.

In a world where it seems people are more and more encouraged to cut off family members due to family disputes, toxic relationships, or even political stances, there really is something to be said for a story that instead delves into the courage and personal growth it takes to maintain a relationship with someone despite their toxic habits.

The characters in this story were great. All of them are flawed in their own ways. Everyone is a result of their upbringing and their era, and they are all multi-faceted with paradoxical qualities. Wells almost forces the reader to view these characters through a lens that requires more empathy than we are taught today.

There was something very literary in Wells' writing, her characters, and their theatrical personalities that brought to mind authors like Hemmingway or even stories like The Awakening. The various time periods also allowed for a more complex look into the relationships that the characters have with one another in different societal eras. (One of the best examples of this is the dynamics between the innocent children, their overworked, marginalized "nurses", and the mothers that tend to be a little too self-involved.) While no one is directly responsible for the social imbalances seen over the course of time, they all are affected by it.

This story really interested me because of it's strong female focus and the friendships that span generations. While the South is often criticized for its anti-feminist views, no one can deny that the women of the south are the matriarchs of their homes and families. I really believe that men could never begin to understand the complex relationships between female friendships or mother-daughter relationships. It is profound yet superficial, compassionate yet fierce, and juvenile yet mature all at the same time.

This is not a plot driven book, so there are lulls in the book, but it is full of memorable, quirky Southern Belles that will stick with you long after turning the last page!

In conclusion: I highly recommend this book. It's funny, heartwarming, and aggressively Southern! Very good summer read that will transport you to Louisiana.

Synopsis:

When Siddalee Walker, oldest daughter of Vivi Abbott Walker, Ya-Ya extraordinaire, is interviewed in the New York Times about a hit play she's directed, her mother gets described as a "tap-dancing child abuser." Enraged, Vivi disowns Sidda. Devastated, Sidda begs forgiveness, and postpones her upcoming wedding. All looks bleak until the Ya-Yas step in and convince Vivi to send Sidda a scrapbook of their girlhood mementos, called "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." As Sidda struggles to analyze her mother, she comes face to face with the tangled beauty of imperfect love, and the fact that forgiveness, more than understanding, is often what the heart longs for.