"The Help"

by Kathryn Stockett, 2009, 444p, rating=4.5

I was the 4th person to put a hold on this book at my local library about a month ago. At that rate I calculated getting it in June! Then a few days after putting a hold on it, I checked the status and it was up to 7 holds!! I guess the library noticed it was popular and managed to get a hold of another copy so I ended up with just over 3wks of wait. Anyway, this certainly was worth the fifty cents to put it on hold! What a wonderful novel. This is the author's first book and in my opinion will not be her last. I'll certainly read another of her books. She got herself a fan ... me!

I love the characters in this book! They were seriously jumping out of the pages for me. This would definitely be a great movie to see and sure enough according to the author's website (just looked), there's one in the works from DreamWorks. Really interested in the cast they come up with because as I was reading the book, I was trying to picture who I'd choose to play certain roles. If Morgan Freeman was a woman, he'd be perfect as Aibileen! Still working on the rest. I'll be sure to let you know what I come up with later. :)

Set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi and told from the point of view of three of its residents, one white and two blacks... Miss Skeeter, an awkward and gentile white woman; Aibileen, a seasoned black maid, strong and matriarchal; and Minny, a take-no-crap from anybody kind of black maid. Together they (along with several others) brave to write a book about what it really is like to be a maid to a white woman. A very scary task given white and black segregation was still happening in that town and of course the wrath from Miss Hilly, the town's pompous white witch! From this secret endeavor, the community of blacks found an outlet to have their voice heard and perhaps something, anything , might stir up because of it.

Stories about oppression seem to attract many people. Perhaps because at some point many have been oppressed in some way ... economically, socially, culturally, racially, religiously, etc. But more so, many are reminded that our ancestors suffered much to pave a better life for us. Hence, those stories are personal links to our heritage and adding to knowing who we are and the legacy we ought to leave the next generation.

If you're a book lover, this is worth the $13 (from Sam's Club) to purchase this book otherwise check it out at your local library or borrow from a friend 'cause this is an excellent read.

**My quotables:
"All I'm saying is, kindness don't have no boundaries." pg 312
"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." pg 418
" Sometimes, changing diapers can be like opening treasure." pg 426