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. Vivi threatens to cut off all ties with Sidda, but Sidda writes to her, asking for forgiveness. Sidda also tells Vivi that she has decided to postpone her wedding to her fiancé, Connor McGill, because she feels like she doesn’t know how to love.

Vivi, who lives in the heart of Louisiana, looks to her best friends—Teensy, Caro, and Necie—for guidance. They call themselves the “Ya-Yas” and have been friends since they were little girls growing up together in the 1930s. Caro suggests that Vivi send Sidda their scrapbook of memories called “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.” Vivi agrees, hoping that the scrapbook will help her and Sidda understand one another better.

After Sidda receives the scrapbook, she heads to a friend’s cabin near Seattle to read it and process it. The scrapbook contains details and memorabilia from the Ya-Yas’ early adventures—like a newspaper clipping from when they participated in a Shirley Temple contest and Teensy passed gas on stage, causing a major kerfuffle; it also has some walnut shells that the Ya-Yas used for their initiation ceremony in 1937. Looking through the scrapbook, Sidda feels envious of the sisterly bond that her mother shares with her friends.

Through the scrapbook, Sidda also learns about some of Vivi’s struggles. She sees a photo of Vivi and her first love Jack, who died in World War II; the photo exudes so much love that Sidda guesses that Jack’s death must have traumatized Vivi. This is indeed the case, and Vivi struggles with Jack’s memories even in the present day, though she has never told Sidda this. Sidda also discovers that Vivi’s mother forcefully sent Vivi away to a Catholic boarding school where she was bullied and abused. Through these stories, Sidda begins to see Vivi as a complex individual who has weathered many challenges.

Just then, the three other Ya-Yas—Teensy, Caro, and Necie—surprise Sidda at her cabin, enveloping her in their love and friendship. They talk about one of Sidda’s most traumatic memories from her childhood: Vivi had beaten Sidda and her siblings until they were bleeding, and then she had left, abandoning the family for weeks. Caro explains that Vivi was on prescription medication that gave her hallucinations, and she was convinced her children were possessed, which is why she had beaten them. Afterward, Vivi spent time at a psychiatric hospital for several weeks. Sidda realizes that all her life, she has been judging her mother’s actions without understanding the pain and trauma that has shaped Vivi.

Vivi has ensconced a key inside the scrapbook; when Sidda finally remembers where the key is from, she is moved by her mother’s thoughtfulness. When Sidda was a little girl, she had initially looked forward to riding an elephant that was visiting a town nearby, and the key had marked Sidda’s place in line. However, just before the ride, Sidda became afraid, and her mother and siblings went on the ride without her. Back home, Sidda was filled with regret at the missed opportunity, and her mother jumped over hurdles to take her back and give her another chance to ride. The experience was amazing and taught Sidda to confront her fears. By sending her the key, Vivi wants to remind Sidda of this experience and nudge her to take risks with love. Soon after, Sidda decides that she will indeed marry Connor.

Sidda and Connor return to Louisiana for Vivi’s birthday, surprising her. Vivi is thrilled to see her daughter and meet Sidda’s fiancé. Sidda and Vivi have the chance to talk, and they come to an understanding with one another, realizing that they are very much alike and that their bond is filled with love. Sidda marries Connor a week later, in Louisiana, surrounded by friends and family who love her.