Ya-Yas in Bloom
by Rebecca Wells
HarperCollins, $96
The popularity of Rebecca Wells' Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is undeniable. It spent 68 weeks on The New York Times' best-seller list, and Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd and Ellen Burstyn didn't think twice about signing on for the screen adaptation. But with Ya-Yas in Bloom, the third in the series (1992's best-selling Little Altars Everywhere began the saga), the 'Sex and the City girls of the 50s' may start losing their following, however adorable, conflicted and loyal they continue to be. A prequel and sequel to Divine Secrets, the novel brings back the familiar cast of Caro, Vivi, Necie and Teensy, and subordinate characters are given new life as the narrative swerves back and forth from the 1930s to the 90s, allowing Wells to present stories about the original Ya-Yas, their daughters, the Petite Ya-Yas, and the third generation, the Tres Petites. Plot, however, is non-existent and little is gained from the revelation of more secrets. The Virginian Pilot's reviewer probably summed it up for readers: Ya-Yas in Bloom, she wrote, 'reads as if somebody greedy is pushing a fine wordsmith for a fans' quick fix'.