The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down

August 9, 2004
Jackson examines the many facets of forgiveness, grace, racial prejudice and healing in this enjoyable follow-up to The Yada Yada Prayer Group
, which has 75,000 copies in print. The adventures of the praying, ethnically diverse group of Chicago Christians, "that drawer full of crazy-colored, mismatched socks," are about to accelerate. Jodi Baxter's physical scars from her car accident continue to heal, but her emotional turmoil returns in the form of nightmares. She's further challenged when her friend Adele Skuggs's elderly and failing mother mistakenly believes Jodi's husband, Denny, is a man from the past who lynched her brother. Adele finds her prejudices against all white people simmering and takes a hiatus from the prayer group. Further disaster strikes when the women are robbed at knifepoint by a crazed drug addict. Only forgiveness and prayer will heal the women's guilt and fear. The talented Jackson peoples her novels with delightful characters, and there's enough detail about the meals to make even a picky eater's mouth water. The scenes detailing different church services can be too lengthy, and a plot contrivance involving a boy's surprising identity strains credibility. Laced with humor, fine description, and interesting and realistically flawed characters, however, this well-paced story is certain to keep fans turning the pages.

The culturally diverse women who met at a Christian women's conference in Chicago in THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP continue to grow their faith and friendship. Jodi is still recovering from the accident that ended the first book. A robbery during a Yada Yada meeting and Adele's withdrawal from the group add more opportunity for grace to do its thing. The talented Barbara Rosenblat brings the book to life with flair and palpable enthusiasm for the characters. Each unique voice reinforces the ethnic diversity of the group. Jodi's narration clarifies references to events in the first book, so even if you're new to the Yada Yadas, you won't feel lost. N.E.M. 2005 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine