'The conversation in Wells' second Ya-Ya saga picks right up where the first left off, without missing a beat. Uplifting, uproarious, saucy and smart.' -- Booklist.
'Readers may lose patience as even the loose family-album format fails to hold up, but Wells still charms when she focuses on the redemptive power of family love' -- Publishers Weekly

This information about Ya-Yas in Bloom was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Reader Reviews

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Cloggie Downunder

better than Divine Secrets
Ya Yas in Bloom is the sequel to Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. It doesn’t read like a sequel, however, but more like an expansion of what we learned about the Ya Yas and the Petites Ya Yas in Divine Secrets. The narrative jumps between Vivi’s early youth and the Ya Yas first encounter in 1930, through to Sidda’s youth in the 1960s and on to the 1990s. Different events in the lives of the Ya Yas, Petites Ya Yas and Trés Petites Ya Yas are told from the viewpoints of Vivi, Sidda, Baylor, Myrtis Spevey and her daughter Edythe, although only Sidda’s and Edythe’s recollections are told in the first person. We learn a lot more about the characters’ lives, and I found both Sidda and Vivi more likeable in this book than in Divine Secrets. Whilst Baylor was a minor character in Divine Secrets, his recollections in this book form a major part of the narrative. Wells touches on racism, catholic guilt, nuns and religious fervour, Alzheimer’s and mental illness, guns and hunting. There are plenty of laughs and some very moving moments. Whilst not a great deal happens, the Ya Yas do spring into action during a family crisis and save the day. While the Christmas Pageant was fun, the description was a little tedious as the litany of family names was recited. Better than Divine Secrets.

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Rebecca Wells Author Biography

Photo: Crystal Satko-Moore

Rebecca Wells, actress, playwright, and author of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Little Altars Everywhere, Ya-Yas in Bloom, and The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder was born in Louisiana. After college, Wells later moved to New York City to pursue her acting career and began studying the Stanislavski method of acting.

Wells's commitment was not only to the stage, but to peace and social justice as well. In 1982 she went to Seattle, Washington, where she performed at numerous professional theaters. She also founded a chapter of Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament. Charmed by the beauty and grace of The Great Northwest, she decided to make it her home.

Her writing, however, resides in the heart of Louisiana. While many fans assume her work is autobiographical, Wells ...

... Full Biography
Link to Rebecca Wells's Website