The Help

I had heard a ton of excellent things about The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, but I was hesitant to read the book. So often, books that are popular I don’t actually like. But, when I found a paperback copy in the book store that I work for that was written in English, but from Italy, I couldn’t resist buying it. That’s just way too cool. I had several friends tell me, “You have to read this book.” So, I broke down and did. Finished it in two days. It’s amazing.

The Help is a novel about racism, friendship, and what it was like to be living life in the 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi. The book flips back and forth between narrators – from Aibileen, a black maid for a white family who is wise, to Minny, another black maid who has a temper and can’t keep her mouth shut, to Miss Skeeter, a white lady in her 20’s who grew up with black maids and finally realizes the horrible way that the blacks are treated.

All three women have very different outlooks on life, but one thing in common – they understand that the way blacks were treated was wrong. They decide to write a book chronicling the black maids’ lives in Jacksonville – everything about raising white children, cleaning, having separate bathrooms, and even having family members beaten and blinded because of a misunderstanding. This book even hit upon the horrible practices that doctors (both black and white) did during this time, not understanding what they were doing.

One moment you’ll be laughing out loud about something Minny said and the next minute you’ll be crying your eyes out. The characters are something special – ones that you want to be your friends, and you all even have a common enemy – the evil Hilly. As I was reading the ending, I felt like my friendships with the characters were ending. This is the type of book that grabs somewhere deep inside you and holds on real tight.

I definitely side among the popular crowd with this book. You have to read this book.

Next up: Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese