Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
BlairKilpa
Am in the middle of this very good, very funny (and touching) book by Rebecca
Wells, but am having a little difficulty "placing" it geographically,
culturally. It's a story of several generations, with a lot of focus on the
adventures of 4 young girls growing up in the 40's in a town called "Thornton"
(not real, I assume), but with references to Marksville and Bunkie, suggesting
they are not too far away. Most of the names are English, though most of the
people are Catholic, and there is liberal sprinkling of French phrases. The
one Cajun character is presesnted as definitely different, and is seen as a bit
suspect by her non-Cajun husband (who won't permit the use of French or fiddle
playing when he's home) and by most other people--except for her own children
and their friends, who see her as more full of life that the other adults
around. The author (who is pretty well regarded and has been pretty successful
with this, and her other book, Little Altars Everywhere) is from Louisiana but
I assume not Cajun? Anyway, any help in understanding this would be
appreciated.
Thanks,
Blair K.
Martha Guthrie
I realize it's been a while since Blair posted this, but I just now
have been able to read the book - I put it on reserve at the public
library months ago.
I love the book as a great story but I find the Cajun references
unauthentic as hell. Blair's assessment was right on the money.
Here's her assessment:
Here's what I find non-authentic:
Siddalee's (main character; non-Cajun and very upper middle to upper
class) dog Hueylene, named in honor of Huey Long - Maybe I'm a little
biased in that my family HATED Huey Long - but to my knowledge, Long
was the hero of the lower-classes. Hard to believe a woman born in
1952 like Sidda would be so sentimental about his memory. Again, I'm
biased - most of my family were bulldozed out of their jobs in EBR
Parish because my grandfather was so outspoken about him politically.
Sidda writes a letter to her Mama thanking her for her "crayfish"
etoufee - say what? And an early scene has several characters eating
an oyster muffaletta - has anybody here ever heard of such a thing? I
certainly haven't!
The Cajun characters are Genevieve St. Clair Whitman and her children,
Jacques (Jack) and Aimee (Teensy). Genevive resents her husband
stifling her Cajunness and that of the children. Again, from my own
experience I don't know any Cajuns who were stifled by a mate - my
great-grandmother quit speaking English on her own - she chose a
certain degree of Anglo-ization but nobody would think of stopping her
from her mad-dog cures or challenging the Cajun foodways they lived by
- planting by the moon, making Cajun cream cheese, drying the leaves
for file, butchering the hogs, eating Courtboullion (Couveeon), etc.
Also, I don't think Genevieve or Aimee are common given name among
Cajuns - St. Clair certainly is not a Cajun surname.
I'm really disappointed with the representation that this is Cajun -
especially since the book was recommended to me by a friend and it's
unfortunate that it's really not authentic. I hate to tell her that.
Kinda like last night my husband called me in to see something on TV
about "Cajun Castles" - they were really Creole and other plantations
like Rosedown, Parlange, San Francisco, etc. It was on a series called
"America's Castles" on the A&E network last night - it was a rerun.
Maybe my mother's family home would qualify as a real Cajun Castle -
it's been on the Baton Rouge historic homes tour even though they have
the age of the house wrong - it's an Acadian-style house on Sullivan
Road that's been on the market recently for $375,000 - now that's what
I call a Cajun castle! But certainly not something for television . .
Martha
Martha Guthrie
Allright, Aimee is a Cajun name. But I think I'm right about the other
stuff.
Martha
cwa (Choupique)
Martha Guthrie wrote in message <35952486...@news.erinet.com>...
not saying either way if i care'd or not for Split Tongue Long
i will say its amazing how much a chicken in every pot or a dime in every
childs hand will acomplish
for instance:
i once heard , unknown of its truth
"the long administration purchased enough cement to cover the state of La. 3
feet deep"
>but to my knowledge, Long
>was the hero of the lower-classes. Hard to believe a woman born in
>1952 like Sidda would be so sentimental about his memory. Again, I'm
>biased - most of my family were bulldozed out of their jobs in EBR
>Parish because my grandfather was so outspoken about him politically.
>
>Sidda writes a letter to her Mama thanking her for her "crayfish"
>etoufee - say what? And an early scene has several characters eating
>an oyster muffaletta - has anybody here ever heard of such a thing? I
>certainly haven't!
nope , but i have to say it does sound good
the crew ought to get a kick out of this one
i will make the suggestion @ the next get together
>
>The Cajun characters are Genevieve St. Clair Whitman and her children,
>Jacques (Jack) and Aimee (Teensy). Genevive resents her husband
>stifling her Cajunness and that of the children. Again, from my own
>experience I don't know any Cajuns who were stifled by a mate - my
>great-grandmother quit speaking English on her own - she chose a
>certain degree of Anglo-ization but nobody would think of stopping her
>from her mad-dog cures or challenging the Cajun foodways they lived by
>- planting by the moon,
did not know there was any other way to plant .....
or should i say i never accepted any other way ....
under soil foods on decreasing moon with a pinch of cornmeal
above soil foods on the increasing moon with a pinch of cornmeal
(or is that flip flopped , been so long since i planted any crops)
always seemed to work for me
and i will laff when i see tomato plants that are all stalk n flower w/o
fruit
cuz i know the tomato's are attached to the roots , have to wonder if the
person
was thinking potato instead of tomato
>making Cajun cream cheese, drying the leaves
>for file, butchering the hogs, eating Courtboullion (Couveeon), etc.
>
>Also, I don't think Genevieve or Aimee are common given name among
>Cajuns - St. Clair certainly is not a Cajun surname.
>
>I'm really disappointed with the representation that this is Cajun -
>especially since the book was recommended to me by a friend and it's
>unfortunate that it's really not authentic. I hate to tell her that.
>
heck , just express your points based on your knowledge and points of view
may get her to thinking a bit more , maybe she will see another side
>Kinda like last night my husband called me in to see something on TV
>about "Cajun Castles" -
the largest cajun castle i ever saw was not long back
in a ditch
was at least 1 1/2 feet high , was very impressed with his work , the ditch
had dried up
i had to laff at him thinking what a first step he was gonna have if he
was still in there or what a climb if he wanted to get back in , this guy
was
determined not to let the waters overtake him .... perty much like our levee
building ancestors ....
>they were really Creole and other plantations
>like Rosedown,
Rosedown plantation is powerful , thou i have to say Nadingway (sp?) is
quite huge
and the room count is unreal maybe 100+ from what i recall ....
The Myrtles i will say is my fav. , luv the iron works .... the twists , the
turns , the circles
and 3# crystles are kinda impressive also
i think they still do the B&B stays .... not sure thou
> Parlange, San Francisco, etc. It was on a series called
>"America's Castles" on the A&E network last night - it was a rerun.
>Maybe my mother's family home would qualify as a real Cajun Castle -
>it's been on the Baton Rouge historic homes tour even though they have
>the age of the house wrong - it's an Acadian-style house on Sullivan
>Road that's been on the market recently for $375,000 - now that's what
>I call a Cajun castle! But certainly not something for television . .
house name ?
am alwayz looking for a place to stay when i am moving around
maybe i can get my foot in the door by dropping a name on the current family
not sure if ya ever recieved this for info about Des Ecores
Mrs. Dart , (318) 365-3955 , this lady works for the Historical Society in
Saint Francisville , never know you may luck out
>
>Martha
>
TJM
Hey Martha,
I'm in the middle of reading the book and am enjoying it too. The book
takes place in Alexandria, Louisiana. (I went to school with Becky Wells).
I don't think it's meant to be a representation of cajun life. As you
probably know, Alexandria is at the "northern border" of cajun-land. Many
of the folks there have some cajun ancestory. My mother was a Mayeaux
from Plaucheville. Most of the people of her age group were encouraged
not to speak french in school. I'm sure you know that story. Although
french is not spoken in Alexandria, you will still find a smattering of it
integrated in normal conversation.
Well's book represents just that I believe. A culture that resided next
door to the cajuns....
Reading the book is a strange experience for me. I started it a week
before my family made a trip back to Alexandria to visit my parents. I
recognized some of the characters and that group in general. And....to
make things even stranger, Gone with the Wind was just re-released. ;)
What do you think?
Tim
Martha Guthrie <mot...@erinet.com> wrote in article
> biased in that my family HATED Huey Long - but to my knowledge, Long
> was the hero of the lower-classes. Hard to believe a woman born in
> 1952 like Sidda would be so sentimental about his memory. Again, I'm
> biased - most of my family were bulldozed out of their jobs in EBR
> Parish because my grandfather was so outspoken about him politically.
>
> Sidda writes a letter to her Mama thanking her for her "crayfish"
> etoufee - say what? And an early scene has several characters eating
> an oyster muffaletta - has anybody here ever heard of such a thing? I
> certainly haven't!
>
> The Cajun characters are Genevieve St. Clair Whitman and her children,
> Jacques (Jack) and Aimee (Teensy). Genevive resents her husband
> stifling her Cajunness and that of the children. Again, from my own
> experience I don't know any Cajuns who were stifled by a mate - my
> great-grandmother quit speaking English on her own - she chose a
> certain degree of Anglo-ization but nobody would think of stopping her
> from her mad-dog cures or challenging the Cajun foodways they lived by
> - planting by the moon, making Cajun cream cheese, drying the leaves
> for file, butchering the hogs, eating Courtboullion (Couveeon), etc.
>
> Also, I don't think Genevieve or Aimee are common given name among
> Cajuns - St. Clair certainly is not a Cajun surname.
>
> I'm really disappointed with the representation that this is Cajun -
> especially since the book was recommended to me by a friend and it's
> unfortunate that it's really not authentic. I hate to tell her that.
>
> Kinda like last night my husband called me in to see something on TV
> about "Cajun Castles" - they were really Creole and other plantations
> like Rosedown, Parlange, San Francisco, etc. It was on a series called
> "America's Castles" on the A&E network last night - it was a rerun.
> Maybe my mother's family home would qualify as a real Cajun Castle -
> it's been on the Baton Rouge historic homes tour even though they have
> the age of the house wrong - it's an Acadian-style house on Sullivan
> Road that's been on the market recently for $375,000 - now that's what
> I call a Cajun castle! But certainly not something for television . .
>
> Martha
>
>
TJM
I do have to say...I was taken aback by the term crayfish rather than
crawfish. She knows better. I think and editor got ahold of this. ;)
Martha Guthrie
Tim,
Don't get me wrong - I love the writing - I just wish she wouldn't
make references to things like Oyster Muffalettas that I'm fairly sure
don't exist.
I really did think before I criticized - after all I'm a Yankee from
Ohio but by golly a Cajun, too.
I felt like maybe she was capatalizing on the popularity of Cajun
stuff - people who are total outsiders wouldn't know that crawfish are
usually not referred to as "crayfish" etc. or that just because
something is French it isn't necessarily Cajun - St. Clair, for
example.
I was fascinated with the GWTW references - it was my personal bible
when I was in my mid-teens. I'm just afraid that if Margaret Mitchell
used the same kind of logic as Becky Wells, she would have had
Scarlett as half-Cajun (her mother's name was Ellen Robillard). After
all, Scarlett was actually Creole. : )
Martha