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Editorial Reviews
The wildly popular New York Times bestseller and reading group favorite.
Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...
Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...
Related Reviews
I was lucky enough to come across an advanced reader copy of this book. Set in Mississippi during the civil rights movement, the story is narrated by the three principal characters...Minny and Aibileen, two black maids, and Miss Skeeter, a young, white woman newly graduated from college. The characters are wonderfully developed, as are the historical background and setting. As each character took her turn at narrating, she became my favorite character until the next one took over again.I was torn between not being able to put the book down and not wanting it to end.
I wish I could give more than five!!
I LOVED this book. I mean I LOVED this book. I could not put it down, and when I had to, I was thinking about the characters and could not wait until I had time to read again.
I grew up in the South in the 60's and my whole neighborhood had housekeepers or "Help". We had someone who worked for us, we called her Nursey, and she was my friend, and my caretaker. After my parents got divorced, she was my rock. This is way to personal, but my stepmother was a witch, and when I think what Nursey had to put up with to stay with me and my sisters, to help take care of us, I just don't know how to express it. She did not leave because of us kids. This book gave me so much to think about and brought up so many feelings, so many good, and so so many not so good.
I'm grateful when I think about the last conversation I had with Nursey before she died, I was married already, living out of town, and I talked to her on the phone. I was able to tell her I loved her and to say thanks for everything she did for me. Was it enough, did it matter? Who knows, but I'm glad it was said.
This is such a beautifully written book, so absorbing..and I don't know how else to describe it. But I do want to say thanks to Ms. Stockett for this wonderful book, that even though I closed it the other day, I cannot quit thinking about.
By the way, I read this on Kindle, and I have decided to buy a hardback copy as well to put on my bookshelves with all my other favorites. I find it hard to believe this is her debut work, I look forward to whatever else Ms. Stockett has to offer us, she is a wonderful storyteller.
I grew up in the South in the 60's and my whole neighborhood had housekeepers or "Help". We had someone who worked for us, we called her Nursey, and she was my friend, and my caretaker. After my parents got divorced, she was my rock. This is way to personal, but my stepmother was a witch, and when I think what Nursey had to put up with to stay with me and my sisters, to help take care of us, I just don't know how to express it. She did not leave because of us kids. This book gave me so much to think about and brought up so many feelings, so many good, and so so many not so good.
I'm grateful when I think about the last conversation I had with Nursey before she died, I was married already, living out of town, and I talked to her on the phone. I was able to tell her I loved her and to say thanks for everything she did for me. Was it enough, did it matter? Who knows, but I'm glad it was said.
This is such a beautifully written book, so absorbing..and I don't know how else to describe it. But I do want to say thanks to Ms. Stockett for this wonderful book, that even though I closed it the other day, I cannot quit thinking about.
By the way, I read this on Kindle, and I have decided to buy a hardback copy as well to put on my bookshelves with all my other favorites. I find it hard to believe this is her debut work, I look forward to whatever else Ms. Stockett has to offer us, she is a wonderful storyteller.
Will Be a Favorite of Mine for Years to Come
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett is a simply amazing debut novel that hooked me from the first chapter. It is sure to be one of my favorites for 2009.
The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s. It is a story about the lives of black maids and the white women who employ them. It is also a story filled with hope, about (3) remarkable women set in difficult times. The voices are perfect pitch and even though the story deals with a serious topic, there is much humor for the reader to enjoy, and lessons to be learned by all.
We meet Eugenia Phelan (AKA ...Skeeter) who just graduated from Ole Miss College. Skeeter is back home living with her parents and she is bored with her friends. Her dream is to become a writer, and to move to New York City, but for now she is stuck in Jackson writing for the Junior League's Newsletter. Her mother, however, has other dreams for Skeeter: to find her a rich husband from a good Southern family. Skeeter is tall, a bit socially awkward, but she is very sensitive. Realizing how badly the black maids "The Help" are being treated by their white employers, she comes up with an idea to interview and write about the black maids in Jackson, and their relationships with their white employers. This is a dangerous project that must be kept secret, but one that has the potential of changing the lives of so many people. To Skeeter it is worth the risk, and it just may be her ticket out of Jackson and off to New York City if she succeeds. Abilene and Minny are the focus of the interviews although many more maids agree to participate.
Abilene is a 50 something black maid. She has endured many hardships including the death of her son in a tragic accident. Despite this she remains kind, sweet and dedicated to raising the children of her employers. Although she endures much discrimination, she tries not to judge people, and to remain loyal and kind to her employer, their family and their friends.
Minny is another black maid who has had many jobs. She is angry and bitter and she finds it hard to keep quiet about some of the discrimination she has seen. Minny cannot seem to follow her mother's advice: (7) rules which she preached to her, and that can pretty much can be summed up by saying "keep your mouth shut when it comes to white folks business".
I don't want to say too much more, but to say that this is one of those books that will make you sad when you have turned the final page. The characters and story will live on in your memory long after you've finished this book. I found myself putting sticky notes throughout so I could reread certain parts.
I found it interesting that this story in part was inspired by the author's own life growing up in Mississippi. Her family had a black maid named Demetrie. The maid died when the author was 16, and she never got to ask her how she felt about being black and working for a white family in Mississippi.
This book is highly recommended.
The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s. It is a story about the lives of black maids and the white women who employ them. It is also a story filled with hope, about (3) remarkable women set in difficult times. The voices are perfect pitch and even though the story deals with a serious topic, there is much humor for the reader to enjoy, and lessons to be learned by all.
We meet Eugenia Phelan (AKA ...Skeeter) who just graduated from Ole Miss College. Skeeter is back home living with her parents and she is bored with her friends. Her dream is to become a writer, and to move to New York City, but for now she is stuck in Jackson writing for the Junior League's Newsletter. Her mother, however, has other dreams for Skeeter: to find her a rich husband from a good Southern family. Skeeter is tall, a bit socially awkward, but she is very sensitive. Realizing how badly the black maids "The Help" are being treated by their white employers, she comes up with an idea to interview and write about the black maids in Jackson, and their relationships with their white employers. This is a dangerous project that must be kept secret, but one that has the potential of changing the lives of so many people. To Skeeter it is worth the risk, and it just may be her ticket out of Jackson and off to New York City if she succeeds. Abilene and Minny are the focus of the interviews although many more maids agree to participate.
Abilene is a 50 something black maid. She has endured many hardships including the death of her son in a tragic accident. Despite this she remains kind, sweet and dedicated to raising the children of her employers. Although she endures much discrimination, she tries not to judge people, and to remain loyal and kind to her employer, their family and their friends.
Minny is another black maid who has had many jobs. She is angry and bitter and she finds it hard to keep quiet about some of the discrimination she has seen. Minny cannot seem to follow her mother's advice: (7) rules which she preached to her, and that can pretty much can be summed up by saying "keep your mouth shut when it comes to white folks business".
I don't want to say too much more, but to say that this is one of those books that will make you sad when you have turned the final page. The characters and story will live on in your memory long after you've finished this book. I found myself putting sticky notes throughout so I could reread certain parts.
I found it interesting that this story in part was inspired by the author's own life growing up in Mississippi. Her family had a black maid named Demetrie. The maid died when the author was 16, and she never got to ask her how she felt about being black and working for a white family in Mississippi.
This book is highly recommended.
Black Southerner Praises "The Help"
To the white critics who say the book tells lies about how blacks were treated during this era and to my brothers and sisters who think it's racist for a white Southern woman to tell this story I can tell you, first hand, the words on these pages are very, very real.
I am an African-American woman who was raised in the South and my mother's mother was "The Help" her entire life. Like the character Aibileen and other maids in the book, she lived a double identity. During the day she was "Georgia," a fixture in the home of Southern whites on Lookout Mountain, Tenn. At night she was a smart, witty mother of two girls and wife to an overworked/underpaid bricklayer. Together, they sent their two daughters to college and, like many offspring of domestic workers, those girls went on to become members of America's first post-segregation black middle class.
I grew up in Atlanta in the late 1960s and 1970s... I was educated with white kids who were in denial. They said "slaves were happy." They froze up at the mention of race and then did racists things minutes later. I recall one white "friend" at the age of 13 asking me, out of the blue, if I "had ever been N.... Knocking?" What is that, Anita? "Oh," she said, "that's when you go on Halloween around to the houses and say 'N.. Knocking! N... Knocking! and then you run!'" The memories are plentiful....
So, if you want to read an authentic story about life in the South during the early 1960s, read "The Help."
It simply speaks the truth, whether you can handle that, or not.
I am an African-American woman who was raised in the South and my mother's mother was "The Help" her entire life. Like the character Aibileen and other maids in the book, she lived a double identity. During the day she was "Georgia," a fixture in the home of Southern whites on Lookout Mountain, Tenn. At night she was a smart, witty mother of two girls and wife to an overworked/underpaid bricklayer. Together, they sent their two daughters to college and, like many offspring of domestic workers, those girls went on to become members of America's first post-segregation black middle class.
I grew up in Atlanta in the late 1960s and 1970s... I was educated with white kids who were in denial. They said "slaves were happy." They froze up at the mention of race and then did racists things minutes later. I recall one white "friend" at the age of 13 asking me, out of the blue, if I "had ever been N.... Knocking?" What is that, Anita? "Oh," she said, "that's when you go on Halloween around to the houses and say 'N.. Knocking! N... Knocking! and then you run!'" The memories are plentiful....
So, if you want to read an authentic story about life in the South during the early 1960s, read "The Help."
It simply speaks the truth, whether you can handle that, or not.
I actually enjoyed reading the first half of the book. The concept is interesting, and I wanted to know what was going to happen.
The ending is terribly unrealistic to me. The author never convinced me that the maids SHOULD put their lives, safety, and livelihoods on the line to help Skeeter write the book. They had nothing to gain, while Skeeter had everything to gain. The fictional book portrayed both good and bad white employers, so it's hard to believe that the book would have been so groundbreaking outside of Jackson, Mississippi. I think I fully gave up on the book when Aibileen was found out based on a superfluous detail included in the book. I can't imagine that in this situation they would not have been more careful after seeing what happened to Louvenia's grandson after making a harmless mistake.
And the buildup about what happened to Constantine was a big letdown. I was expecting Skeeter to find her body under the house based on the buildup. Use of dialect only for the black characters contributes to the patronizing manner of the book. "Skeeter the great White Savior" would have been a more accurate title. I had a huge problem with the fact that Aibileen didn't get credit for writing and editing the book, on top of putting herself in harm's way. And at the end of the day, Aibileen had to sacrifice everything while Skeeter's dreams came true and she walked off into the sunset.
And Celia wasn't believable at all.
It was an interesting read, but I definitely felt uncomfortable with this book.
The ending is terribly unrealistic to me. The author never convinced me that the maids SHOULD put their lives, safety, and livelihoods on the line to help Skeeter write the book. They had nothing to gain, while Skeeter had everything to gain. The fictional book portrayed both good and bad white employers, so it's hard to believe that the book would have been so groundbreaking outside of Jackson, Mississippi. I think I fully gave up on the book when Aibileen was found out based on a superfluous detail included in the book. I can't imagine that in this situation they would not have been more careful after seeing what happened to Louvenia's grandson after making a harmless mistake.
And the buildup about what happened to Constantine was a big letdown. I was expecting Skeeter to find her body under the house based on the buildup. Use of dialect only for the black characters contributes to the patronizing manner of the book. "Skeeter the great White Savior" would have been a more accurate title. I had a huge problem with the fact that Aibileen didn't get credit for writing and editing the book, on top of putting herself in harm's way. And at the end of the day, Aibileen had to sacrifice everything while Skeeter's dreams came true and she walked off into the sunset.
And Celia wasn't believable at all.
It was an interesting read, but I definitely felt uncomfortable with this book.
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