Book Review: The Help

The Help By Kathryn Stockett

I recently read a book called The Help written by Kathryn Stockett. Prior to reading the book I had not read any reviews but I did see it on the end cap at Target. I was not sure what it would be about but I am always up for a book that is not set in current day New York City or London.

I was absolutely hooked the minute I started reading this novel.

The book follows the life of three society women in Jackson Mississippi from 1962 through 1965, the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, and a few maids who raised these women and their children.

Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan returns to her parents’ cotton farm after graduating from Ole Miss with a degree in English. She sets out to make find a journalism career and make a difference in the world.

On Skeeter’s journey she befriends two maids, Aibileen and Minny who share glimpses into their lives as black maids in Jackson. Starting out with the seemingly simple mission to find out what happened to her lifelong maid Skeeter ends up learning a lot more about the life of a black maid in 1962 and about herself.

The book makes mention of the murder of Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr and shows how tragic these events were for the African American community.

I was deeply touched by this novel. While it is a fictional novel, Stockett incorporates history accurately and appropriately into the story.

I recommend this novel to everyone. It is a wonderful, welcome change to the typical chick-lit books found on the shelves today.