The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
Published 2009.
In 1962 everything is normal. The white ladies are house wives and the black women are the workers. The workers are maids that make sure the white households are organized and are nannies to the white children. And then the black women go home and raise their own family- regardless of how tired or how horrible her day went. Yes, it is normal for Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. But Skeeter Phelan, a single white woman, is brave enough to wonder…does it have to be this way? In time Skeeter is able to convince two black maids, Aibileen and Minny, to help her with an idea; a plan to write a book from the point of view of the black maids who work for white women, the good and the terrible truths.
Most books choose first person or a third person perspective, but this book features both. With a majority of the story in first person, this book continues to jump around not with a singular main character, but three. This could have made the book appear jumpy, like movies that have too much going on and switching scenes before the audience is ready. However, Ms. Stockett’s writing style flowed from one woman to another. Making the reader feel like they were sitting in a room with three women, each telling a part of the story. With Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter telling their stories together, the women cover gaps in time with updates about the time that had passed (the entire book covers about two years in 464 pages). The ending provides readers with closure, but as many books often do, a need for more information as the readers’ imagination must truly create the end for each woman.
Starting from August, 1962 until late 1964- Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter live their lives and though they knew of each other it wasn’t until a hardship that brought them together. From virtual strangers (minus Aibileen’s and Minny’s relationship) to fearsome friends, these three women struggle with all aspects of their lives. From the strain on their friendships, hardships of work, and the stress of their families- they must also deal with the separation of color.
Since the author wrote like someone is talking, this book is not easy to read for those who are grammar sticklers. Learning a new dialect can be difficult, such as that used in the book The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I found reading sentences that used “a” as opposed to “of” caused me to stumble and made me stop to think what the character was trying to say. Though this deep Southern dialect could trip me up at times, it was worth the effort when I found jewels of wisdom spoken by clever characters. One of the parts I bookmarked while reading on my kindle was on page 62 (location 1248 on Kindle), “Ugly live up on the inside. Ugly be a hurtful, mean person. Is you one a them peoples?” This was said by Constantine, Skeeter’s maid, when Skeeter was being bullied by the children at school who called her ugly. To personify “ugly” was very clever of Stockett, and is a good example of why her words will remain with her readers for years to come.
This is Stockett’s first book and hopefully not her last, as she has quite a following. And now with the movie coming out this weekend, more fans of her work. Though the book is long, it was worth the effort to allow the stories and emotions to marinate for the reader. To pull the reader in and become emotionally involved. To feel like crying when something horrible happens in the black community, to cheer on the women when they stood up for themselves, or smile when something special happened. Like when Aibileen took time to tell Mae Mobley, Aibileen’s 17th white child, that the little girl was kind, smart, and important.
The Help is a book that allows the reader to have empathy for the characters. Anyone who has suffered from bullying, or rejection for who they are, can sympathize with the characters in this book. And for those readers who sympathize, they find a new treasured friend.
For a synopsis of the book please click here.
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Kathryn Stockett’s website and useful links found on it:
Kathryn Stockett, In Her Own Words (found at the end of the book and on Stockett’s website).
“In my book there is one line that I truly prize: 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 Movie:
