With a New Preface “Readers who like their books about the human condition spiced with a Southern drawl won’t want to miss this one.”— Mississippi Sun Herald In honor of its thirtieth anniversary, a special edition of the beloved bestselling novel about four Southern women that explores the enduring bonds of friendship, the often-rocky relationship between mothers and daughters, and the healing power of humor and love. In a New York Times interview with hit theatrical director Siddalee Walker—the oldest daughter of Vivi Abbott Walker, Ya-Ya extraordinaire—Vivi is described as a “tap-dancing child abuser.” Enraged, Vivi disowns her child. Devastated, Sidda begs for forgiveness, even postponing her upcoming wedding. The heartbreaking divide looks unbreachable until Vivi’s dear circle of Ya-Yas convince her to send Sidda a scrapbook of their girlhood memories called “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.” As Sidda struggles to truly know her mother and the past, she comes face to face with the tangled beauty of imperfect love, and the fact that forgiveness, more than understanding, is often what the heart longs for. In the decades since its publication, Rebecca Wells’ “wonderfully irreverent” ( Booklist ) excavation of small-town Louisiana life “thick with sensual excesses” ( Seattle Weekly ) won the devotion of legions of readers, inspired a hit film, and continues to enchant new generations with its deep honesty and irresistible charm.