The Help - Kathryn Stockett

This novel is such a brilliant story. 

The premise of this novel was so intriguing and readers will not be disappointed.  The novel is written from the point of view of different women within a small Southern town in the United States during the 1960s.  It portrays the different points of view of the novel’s characters during a very tumultuous time in America’s history.  What I loved about the novel was that the characters really became friends of mine – the mark of a really good book.  I couldn’t put it down and finished it within 3 days – also not an easy task with work and school but, with this book, once you start reading, you’ll understand.

The novel discusses the lives of black maids working for white families and the relationships that evolve between the two groups.  The book causes the reader to think and analyse their own perspective on the issue of race gently, as they grow to love the characters. 

What I love about this novel is, the author doesn’t just portray the injustices that happened during that time in history, before the Civil Rights movement, but she portrays each character, white or black, as humans with a story, with pain in their lives, and with love.  She describes their backgrounds, lives, thoughts, little secrets...  and she literally makes you fall in love with her characters. 

What an incredible book. 

I particularly identified with the character, Skeeter.  She also studied writing in university and lives to write.  What strikes me about Skeeter is that she has an incredible ability to see beyond the perspective she was raised with.  She sees people as people and is open to having her world view challenged and expanded, even when it means that those whom she grew up with no longer understand her.  She is quite inspiring. 

There are many characters in this book who will make you laugh out loud.  They’ll make you read aloud parts of the novel to anyone in the room who will listen.  They will make you cry.  There’s one character in particular who will make you rage!  This is an incredible book. The kind that will make you wish you hadn’t read it yet so you can enjoy it for the first time again and again.