The Yada Yada Prayer Group: The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 1 (Women of Faith Fiction) (2008 Novel of the Year) [Paperback]

Neta Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2008

What do an ex-con, a former drug addict, a real estate broker, a college student, and a married mother of two have in common?

Nothing, or so I thought. Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn't even go to the Chicago Women's Conference--after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn't exactly my "comfort zone." But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together, and the "Yada Yada Prayer Group" was born! When I faced the biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound Sisters to show me what it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Neta Jackson's award-winning Yada books have sold more than 500,000 copies and are spawning prayer groups across the country. She and her husband, Dave, are also an award-winning writing team, best known for the Trailblazer Books—a 40-volume series of historical fiction about great Christian heroes with 1.5 million in sales—and Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes (vols 1-4). They live in the Chicago area, where the Yada stories are set.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Repack edition (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544399
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544391
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.9 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a kid I was crazy about horses and animals of all kinds and loved to draw (horses, mostly). Since I didn't have a horse, I wrote stories about them instead. My high-school English teacher sent one of my stories (about a couger) to a Scholastic magazine writing contest and it won First Place . . . and the rest, as they say, is history. I wanted to be a writer!

I grew up on the campus of a private Christian school in Seattle where my parents were teachers. A lovely childhood, though fairly sheltered. But college took me back to the Chicago area and a whole new world. My husband and I settled in the Chicago area soon after getting married, and even though we both grew up in solid Christian homes, our search to deepen our faith took the form of Christian community for much of our family life raising kids. Eventually the critical issue of racial reconciliation became the call of God upon our life, and we chose to immerse ourselves in African American and multi-cultural churches. Our world and our hearts expanded. What a gift these relationships of faith have been!

All during this time, my husband and I have been a writing team--writing books with expert resource people (as their co-authors) on a variety of topics (from medical ethics to stories of gang kids), then writing a whole series of historical fiction about great Christian heroes--40 titles in all!--called the Trailblazer books (and a series of "Hero Tales," five volumes in all). Now we are each writing adult fiction--the Yada Yada Prayer Group series for me, which was inspired by my real-life Bible study sisters, a multi-cultural group of feisty women going on 12 years now that God has used to turn my life upside down, or rather, rightside up! (I have to admit, sometimes my real world and my fictional world get a bit mixed up!)

I've been married for 40-plus years to the same wonderful man, we are truly partners in life. We raised two kids plus a Cambodian foster daughter, and together they've given us eight beautiful grandchildren! As one of my girlfriends and I agree: The best stress-busters in the world are pets, gardening, and grandkids!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read... July 10, 2008

By K. Fisher

Format:Paperback

I happened upon this first novel of the Yada Yada series at a local Christian book store, took a chance, and bought it. I became totally engrossed in the characters and their lives-that is, once I got all the characters straight because there are quite a few. I found Jackson's book inspirational, thought-provoking, entertaining, timely and true to the Chicago suburb in which it is set. It is a story of life- in terms of the joys, laughters, sorrows, bewilderment we sometimes face in this world. More importantly, it is a story that inspires the reader as to the possibilities of obtaining redemption from even the most difficult of circumstances, and the ability to experience joy and laughter in spite of these circumstances. What a great book for any Christian (or for that matter, non-Christian) woman to read. It also offers hope and inspiration as to what the world can be if we only open our hearts a little wider...I gave it 4 stars because the characters were only begining to develop in the first novel. The subsequent novels are even better. So far, I'm wrapping up Book 3 and can't wait to start Book 4.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and touching January 2, 2009

By Debby

Format:Paperback

I ran across this book quite by accident at my church. It looked interesting so I thought I'd read it. Well, I just fell in love with it and can't wait to read the other books in this series. It was very entertaining, yet thought provoking and touching. It does make you realize how important it is for us to pray for each other and together. I highly recommend this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Yada Yada! May 27, 2008

By R. Ortiz

Format:Paperback

A friend that I was going on a women's retreat with mentioned that she was reading this book and highly recommended it. I'm so glad she did because I really enjoyed reading about the 12 ladies from different background who came together to form the Yada Yada Prayer group. I've ordered the whole set and am in the middle of the 4th out of 7 books. Even though it's fiction it has helped how I praise God and pray now. I highly recommend it, too!