Yada Yada

Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson
Review by Lisa Norsworthy


I get absolutely giddy when I find a series I want to read! It means, for at least a few weeks, I don’t have to search for a book or, worse yet, start a book that I end up leaving because I can’t get interested. So, because I know many readers feel the same, I asked John if I could review a few of my favorite series.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Series by Neta Jackson has seven books so it will keep you busy for awhile. Jodi Baxter, a 40-something school teacher, has just moved to urban Chicago from the suburbs. Her husband, Denny, has gone into the city for years helping with an urban ministry, but has decided that the Lord wants the family to live in the community where he ministers which proves to be quite an adjustment. Jodi goes to a women’s retreat where prayer groups are formed randomly. In her prayer group, she meets women of every age and ethnicity. They decide to keep the prayer group going by meeting bi-weekly at each other’s homes and so the Yada Yada Prayer Group is formed.

While this book is a first-person account of Jodi’s life, the reader gets to know the tribulations and joys of all the women in the group. Jackson does such a great job with character development, I caught myself wondering what happened to Jodi a couple of times as though she were a real person! All of these women are born-again Christians but they come from different denominations and have different styles of worship, and I enjoyed reading about these differences.

If you like books that are full of action and intrigue, the pace may be too slow for you. This is definitely a series for readers who like books about people and relationships. If that is you, you have a good series to read at the beach this summer!