The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I absolutely loved this! I got this for my mother for Christmas and she pressed it on me as soon as she was finished.

Segregated Mississippi in the early 1960's and domestic service are about as different of a world for me as the Gion geisha district in Memoirs of a Geisha was. And as with Memoirs I was skeptical about what the author could possibly do with those respective subject matters. And with each I was surprised by how quickly I became engaged with the story and the characters' lives.

Aibileen and Minnie are longtime friends that have been working for the white women of Jackson for years and years. When the story opens Aibileen is working for the Leefolt family. Missus Elizabeth Leefolt listens to everything her friend Hilly says and their other friend, Skeeter bristles silently and the black help pretend they don't hear anything at all.

Then one day Miss Hilly insists that every house employing black help must have separate facilities. They have different diseases she claims. And within a few weeks Aibileen has to use a new bathroom built outside the house. This one further act of segregation drives Skeeter to wonder how the maids feel about working for the white ladies. She decides to write a book of interviews but finds it's harder than she had expected to get anyone to speak up, But it was this bathroom segregation and the insult that came with it as well that finally gave Aibileen courage enough to speak up and help Skeeter.

I can't speak for how accurately this depicted segregated South and black women in the 60's but it was a really good story and I'm glad it came my way.


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