March 11, 2004

ON MY BOOKSHELF

“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel”
By Rebecca Wells

Jasmine White, 36,
muffler shop operator, race team correspondent

As a supremely loyal open wheel car racing fan, having, in fact, dedicated her life's work to the operation of a muffler shop and organization of her own race team, Almaden local Jasmine White hoped never to suffer an injury related to her passion for automobiles.

However, last year, through no control of her own, White suffered greatly.

On an eerie, summer evening, White's mother and mother's boyfriend totaled their car, returning home from a night they can never erase. The couple had been drinking.

“It's been very difficult since then,” said White. “The event has put a lot of stress on the relationship between my mother and I. I've been trying to forgive her and his actions, but it's hard to see my mother like this.”

White's mother suffered massive head injuries as a result of the crash. One side of her face was shattered and lacerated so badly that doctors prescribed a medically induced coma. White's mother remained in the coma for an entire month while she began to recover. Doctors are scheduled to begin reconstructive surgery later this year.

Since the accident, White has struggled to clear her mind, especially while she suffers the daily commute from Almaden to Mountain View, where her muffler shop is located. However, White has found a device to cope.

“I've been listening to a lot of books on tape from the library,” said White. “I like them because they are easy to use and help me think about other things going on.”

Most recently, White soaked up Rebecca Wells' “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.”

Wells tells a story of mothers and daughters. In this case, the daughter, Siddalee Walker, is an actress and playwright, who recently directed a hit play in the bustling Seattle drama scene. After a published New York Times interview, portraying her mother, Vivi, as an abusive, strumpet, Siddi is confronted with Vivi's past.

The Ya-Ya's, Vivi's friends from her Louisiana childhood, convince Vivi to send Siddi a scrapbook full of their own memories. From this, Siddi is forced to examine her mother's true character, learning ultimately, that, often, forgiveness feels better than bitterness.

“It was really an excellent book,” said White. “My mother and I have had our ups and downs in the past year. For me, listening to the story helped me resolve some conflicts that I have personally in the realm of the mother/daughter relationship. Mother and daughter relationships can't be cherries all the time. There's a lot of hidden baggage. But the book was good. It even made me want to visit Louisiana.”

—By Justin Petersen