I have had this book sitting in my "To Read" pile for ages, I am happy to report that this book blows the movie version out of the water (although, the movie was good too, if a bit rushed). 

This book basically tells the tale of a downward-spiraling relationship between Vivi Walker, and her daughter Sidda. Through a series of flashbacks, stories, and an overstuffed scrap-book, we learn bits of the past, both good and bad, of these two women. Sidda is struggling to figure out how to communicate with her mother after an over-exposed New York Times article was published, loaded with intimate and personal details of her childhood-most of which involve the abusive behavior of Vivi. Humiliated beyond all means, Vivi has refused to speak to her daughter, and is even working on removing her from her will. Aside from the obvious issue with her mother, Sidda is struggling with one more issue: She cancelled her engagement to the perfect man, who has been there for her for years, because she feels that she cannot go through with it. Sidda feels that she cannot love, and therefore needs her mother to help her, but how can she when they cannot even speak to each other without biting each other's heads off?

In an act of truce, Vivi sends Sidda The Divine Secrets, a scrapbook containing memories of Vivi's own life, that one filled with love with her close friends, The Ya-Ya's. 

The comradery between Vivi and the Ya-Ya's in the book is wonderful, and it made me crave my middle-school years when I caused havoc with my own group of friends. It also made me realize that my own group of wonderful, asshole friends have stuck with me for this long, and there is a large chance we will all be causing shenanigans when we are 90 years old. I can picture us now: Sitting in giant robes on a large front porch with all of our cats, trying to flirt with the strapping young lads who will be mowing our lawns for us. Getting old is going to be fun!