Last night I finally finished Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible and though I consider it a good thing to have read, it was not entirely my style. I am not in a heavy mood right now and the story of a missionaries family torn apart by themselves and the jungle in the Congo is not necessarily what I wanted to read.But read it I did and so now I will let you know about it. 4 daughters and two parents head to the inner jungle to “convert the heathen.” I had mixed reactions to this sort of behavior before reading this book and now I really don’t think I like it. I mean Christian charity is nice, but wouldn’t just charity be fine alone and then if someone asks why it is being done explain it. I guess this is how the Catholics have been working it for the last few decades (though they have had centuries to see how thwacking people over the head for not being Catholic didn’t help their cause.) This family, and really by this I mean the father, is Baptist and really just goes to “bring the salvation of Christ’s love” to the poor stupid Africans. I suppose the fact that it is a white family from Georgia in the 50’s doesn’t help. Segregation was still roaring and the girls had never had the chance to learn that blacks speaking English were “just like them” so when confronted with those who spoke and dressed and ate differently they had no way of relating to them as equals. It was interesting to see how the different family members evolved in their appreciation, and that alone would have made a good story, but this story also had a political message. It pushed this families plight into relief against what may be one of the worst political maneuvers of the United States. America was raping the land of it’s minerals and paying for dictators to keep the oppression going. This story which follows this family for 3/4 of the novel taking it’s time for their first year then jumps in to the politics of what is going on and railroads us through the next 30 years. Yes it is good to see how the characters evolved beyond where the story ends, but again the political landscape clouds the story.
Where do I begin?First, I know this has nothing to do with the actual story, but I needed a place to vent my frustration. I also know that I shouldn't be so superficial nor should I judge a book by it's cover, but I have to say a serious, okay maybe not significantly so, but still, a distraction was the author's "glamour shot" on the back cover. Those ultra short, choppy bangs and drawn in eyebrows turn what would otherwise be an okay face into an old lady who looks like she is trying way too hard. She kind of looks like an alien. I wished I had a book cover so no one would associate me with the "Mary Kay" looking cheesiness of this woman. Despite this photo, I do like Wells . . . as a writer.Her first book of the Ya-Yas was quite amusing--much better than the movie version. I am not someone who affiliates herself with anything Southern- like (even though my husband insists I can fall into a distinctly Nevadan accent that could be confused as less Northern), but Wells writing made me really appreciate that setting and the characters therein. She really does a good job of describing places and people. Unfortunately, that's mostly what makes this book good. Ya-Ya's in Bloom really lacks plot. If you're looking for this in a story, and most are, you will surely be disappointed. She does do a good job of highlighting other characters from the first book, and I LOVED the "Pilgrimage" chapter where we see how Sidda falls in love with the Beatles. That alone earned an extra star from me. The rest of the story gives other glimpses into the lives of YaYa offspring, and Wells writing continues to be descriptive and entertaining, but the overall connection isn't really there."Your voice is soothing, but the words aren't clearYou don't sound different, I've learned the game.I'm looking through you, you're not the same"-The Beatles
What do You think about Ya Yas In Bloom (2005)?
Another delightful Ya-Ya book from Rebecca Wells. Ya-Yas in Bloom is told from multiple viewpoints, with some stand alone chapters. Other chapters offer multiple views of the same storyline. There is not a cohesive storyline tying everything together like there was in The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. This book is more about snapshots in time, told from the perspective of different characters. We do get to learn a little bit more about the male characters of the Ya-Ya world. This book was a fast and enjoyable read and I couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Ya-Ya series.
—Courtney
If I had read this ten years ago, I probably would have given it five stars. After all, in high school, I was obsessed with all things Ya-Ya. Seriously - I read Little Altars Everywhere and Divine Secrets multiple times. I loved Sidda and her artistic take on the world. I loved the idea of friends being best friends since childhood. I loved the Southern phrases and the references to entertainers through the decades. And, of course, I loved the drama of it all. Now, while I enjoy the books, I see more of Wells' formula, more of her pattern. Don't get me wrong - I can't help but love the Walkers and the rest of the Ya-Ya gang. I'm just not as willing to follow them anywhere they want to go. So, all that said, if you loved the earlier books, feel free to give this a whirl. If you haven't read the others, don't start here. And remember, as the Ya-Yas would say, life is always better with a drink in your hand.
—Jaclyn
The familiar and much loved characters of the Ya-Ya series return in a collection of short stories. As always, I enjoyed the writing style, rich characters and Louisiana setting (a personal favourite of mine). I felt the additional character development of Baylor particularly interesting - a sensitive man who refuses to carry a gun or kill a deer but still goes hunting with the other masculine characters. The closeness of Baylor's relationship with his wife and children was touching. I was left wanting a little more of this character.Sadly there were moments when it did feel as though the stories were scenes culled from the other books during editing. This book will separate the true die hard Ya-Ya fans from the casual reader. The real fans will enjoy the characters and little bits of back story which add another piece to the colourful Ya-Ya puzzle we fell in love with in the first two books. The casual reader will not be satisfied with the assumed background knowledge of the crazy Ya-Ya way which was so beautifully crafted in the other books.At times the religious side was a little too tick and failed to resonate with me for some reason, at one point I actually wanted to skip a page! For Shame!
—Steven
