The Help - A Review

The Help by Kathryn Stockett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been years since I read a book where from the first word on the first page I was hooked. And, with this book, I was hooked with the very first word. I could not put this book down-- I even read it while I fixed dinner.

Set in 1960's Mississippi, during the heat of Integration, is where we find ourselves with the first word.

The book focuses around one white socialite woman and two African-America maids and the stories that these women have to tell. I loved the way it showed not only the strengths but also the flaws of each of the characters, and sub-characters as well. Some of the characters you can't help but love to hate.

It was a profound, gripping tale that I could not put down. The writing was outstanding-- and I found myself actually thinking in the dialect that Stockett used.

The book stuck with me for days after I finished this story, and the characters actually came alive for me. At the books end, I was a little sad because it felt like I was losing a wonderful group of friends.

I find my thoughts turning to this powerful group of women on a regular basis. Stockett did an extraordinary job creating women who were determined to change a town, and participate in changing a nation. Their movement changes the way women-- daughters, mothers, friends and employees-- interact with one another. The hidden way some white women treat their maids can be horrifying and others heroic.

My favorite quote from the book:

"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."

The Help is destined to be a classic tale. One about the lines we wouldn't cross and the ones we should.

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