The Help, by Kathryn Stockett is the story of a young girl in Mississippi, who is struck by the realization that white children are raised by black maids/nannies, but that those same maids cannot even use the guest bathroom in the homes of the families they work for. The novel follows the coming-of-age of late bloomer Skeeter Phelan, a young, white college graduate with no love or job prospects. It also follows the awakening of two maids—Aibileen and Minny—who realize that the bloom is not yet off the rose. Through the sharing of their life stories, all three women come to a deeper understanding of themselves and the world that they are living in.
I was unsure I would appreciate a novel about the plight of black maids in the Jim Crow Mississippi of the 1960s…as written by a white author. I didn't think she'd get it. However, I was quickly won over by the sheer brilliance of the story. The book, despite being fictional, is a commentary on an era in American life that, though fairly recent, is sadly forgotten. The Help makes us look at those fading, but still visible lines that are drawn between people based on race and socioeconomic status. It makes the reader think: Do I believe in those lines?
Despite the serious message, the book is flat out hilarious. There were moments where I was hooting at the ceiling. Ms. Stockett creates crystal clear imagery that only digital cameras should be able to capture. And she brings absurd scenarios into the glaring focus of reality, and makes you shake your head in awe.
I’ve read a lot of books in my 28 years of life. If I had to guess, I’d put the number at something close to 200. When I was younger, I would keep a list of every book I’d read in order to keep myself from reading the same book twice. This is a book that I would purposely keep off that list, as it’s the kind of book a person could enjoy reading again and again.
