Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (1996) is a novel by Rebecca Wells. It tells the story of Sidda, a successful New York theater director, who has a complicated relationship with her mother, Vivi. It also examines The Power of Female Friendships through Vivi’s relationship with her childhood friends, who grew up together in Louisiana and call themselves the Ya-Yas; they play a big role in helping Sidda understand her mother better. This novel is the second in a series of four books that Wells wrote featuring the Ya-Yas. On publication, the novel became a New York Times bestseller, and in the year 2000, it was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize in Fiction. It was adapted into a feature film in 2002.

This guide utilizes the 2004 Perennial Paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: This guide describes the novel’s treatment of substance misuse disorders, mental health conditions, death by suicide, child abuse, domestic abuse, and racism. The source text also includes racist language.

Plot Summary

Sidda Walker, a successful theater director in New York, is embroiled in a family scandal after she gives a New York Times interview in which she criticizes her mother, Vivi, for being a neglectful parent.