This is Kathryn Stockett’s first novel? Really? It is amazing. You must read it. From the moment I had read the first few pages, I knew it was “one of those” that I would not be able to put down easily. It is 444 pages and I was enthralled through all of them.
The story is about the relationships between whites and blacks in Mississippi in the ’60s, particularly between the black maids and the white women they worked for. Stockett, a white woman, takes the challenge to write from a black maid’s perspective and it makes me oh so curious to know how close she came to the mark.
Throughout the book, you will get to know Skeeter, a 22 year old graduate of Ole Miss who was raised by the family maid Constantine and loved her (and was loved by her) immensely. Because of this relationship, Skeeter is questioning just how life is for the black women. You will meet Aibileen, a black woman who has worked for many white families and loves raising their babies. She is intelligent and hard-working, but full of grief over the loss of her only son. And then there is Minnie. Minnie is a great cook but her sassy mouth is always getting her in trouble. Together, these 3 women along with many others risk everything to work on a secret project that they hope will begin to break down the division between the races and help people to see that there really isn’ t so much difference between them after all.
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October 12th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I agree! Stockett’s ability to capture the nuances in the voices of the maids is amazing. I walked around with this novel in my hands until I finished it…immediately loaned it to friends. Now I can’t get it back!
October 14th, 2009 at 4:21 am
I read this book, then I passed in on to my Mom, who passed it on to my sister, we all loved this book and it’s still being passed around.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
I don’t think I’ve seen a negative review yet. I really want to read this one!
October 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I know, it was really hard to believe this was a first novel! I very strongly recommend the audio of this book, the narrators were phenomenal.
October 17th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I bought The Help a while ago because I heard how good it was. I should get around to reading it soon
October 18th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I know this is the “book du jour” in the publishing industry — and although I think it is well written — I think I’m the only person on the planet that thought negatively of it. I live in the south, and the thought of a white woman writing as if she were a black housekeeper, was really offensive. All I’ve read are white women’s glowing reviews, and white author’s quotes on the back of the dust jacket. I wonder what the African American community thinks of this book? My rant (because it wasn’t a review) is here…http://gerberadaisydiaries.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-reivew-help.html
October 18th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
melissa, i loved the book, but this is precisely what i wondered about too. i mean, is this just what a white woman wants to believe that the black maids felt? or did the maids really and truly love the little white babies and was there really a sense of almost family betwn some of the white people and their black help? i wasn’t offended by a white woman writing a black voice, but it did make me awfully curious as to how close she got to the mark of being accurate. it helps to know that stockett did have a black maid that helped her family.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Melissa, When I received The Help and saw the author was a white woman, I have to admit I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read the book. I got to wondering how this woman is portraying blacks or really how could she possibly write about a black person’s point of view. But then I had to check myself. There are black writers who have white characters in their fiction. And it was a black person who told me The Help was a really good read, so I’ll give it a chance
October 21st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I’m glad this one is so good. I’m hoping to start it soon!
October 24th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I see you have signed up for the 24-hour readathon…hope you have fun with it!
October 28th, 2009 at 11:25 am
I agree with Melissa, being born & raised in Alabama, we did have a deep fondness for our black friends just as northern women have for their nannies today.
It is important when reading the book to read it with an open mind and not be judgmental about people in the south. We all need to look deep in our soul as to how we relate to others.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:03 am
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