day 4 of the 30 day book challenge

Day 04. Favorite book of your favorite series

As I mentioned yesterday, my favorite series is the Louisiana-based Ya-Ya trilogy. While all the characters are as rich as their desserts & as strong as their drinks, "Ya-Yas in Bloom" is my favorite: a look at the baby Ya-Yas & the roots of their friendship. It expands on, creates & cements affection for many of Wells' character.

As I'm sure you expected, here's an excerpt from Powell's Books:

When four-year-old Teensy Whitman prisses one time too many and stuffs a big old pecan up her nose, she sets off the chain of events that lead Vivi, Teensy, Caro, and Necie to become true sister-friends. Using as narration the alternating voices of Vivi and the Petite Ya-Yas, Siddalee and Baylor Walker, as well as other denizens of Thornton, Louisiana, Wells show us the Ya-Yas in love and at war with convention. Through crises of faith and hilarious lapses of parenting skills, brushes with alcoholism and glimpses of the dark reality of racial bigotry, the Ya-Ya values of unconditional loyalty, high style, and Louisiana sass shine through.

 Wells is a Lifer in Louisiana–born & raised, educated & established in the state. It's no surprise then that she chose the rich food & story culture of her home as the setting for the seemingly tall tales of her characters. This excerpt explains the relationship between Wells & her setting (used again for her latest book), which makes the characters even more meaningful:

She recalls her early influences as being the land around her, harvest times, craw-fishing in the bayou, practicing piano after school, dancing with her mother and brothers and sister, and the close relationship to her black “mother” who cleaned for the Wells household. She counts black music and culture from Louisiana as something that will stay in her body’s memory forever.

The excerpt is from her web site (linked above), & you can tell she wrote the biography herself. You get to learn fun facts, like Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" changed the way she thought about how people interact with poetry & prose. I love finding those moments!

So go get a warm Coke, drop a peanut inside. Make some beignets & get ready for some good reading with the Ya-Yas.