The Help By Kathryn Stockett

I finished this book a few hours ago. It is the story of three women set in Mississippi in the 1960's. One women is a white recent college graduate while the other two are black maids. Yesterday, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I was living in New Jersey going to elementary school the first time I heard the "I have a dream..." speech. It gave me goose bumps then and it gives me goose bumps now. That speech gave me hope for the future of race relations. I have hope for sexual equality. I have hope that inequality is something that is covered in history books, not felt in day to day life. I know that I am an idealist. I know I will suffer with my disappointment when what I wish doesn't happen. But I can hope. As a little girl growing up first in Draper, Utah then in Flanders, New Jersey, then back to South Jordan, Utah you would think that I was somewhat sheltered against racism. I did after all grow up in the 80's and 90's, not the 50's or 60's. I remember some kid at school calling me a spic and I had no idea what that was, let alone that it was a racial slur. I was in the 1st grade when this happened to me. It was the first time, but certainly not the last time someone said that to me.

I am confrontational to say it nicely. My friends all agree that they love when I am a bitch to people when they deserve it but hate with when I aim it at them. I am not afraid to tell people exactly what I think of them and whatever it is they are doing in front of me. I related to the character Minny more than the others in The Help, because she too couldn't help herself. She would tell people exactly what she thought of them. She would also lash out at people when they deserved it. I have a hot temper just like her. In the story Minny has a harder time than most maids as she is confrontational. She gets fired a lot for her mouth. She is also a really sweet woman and would do anything to protect the people she loves most. I could also relate to that level of loyalty.

Miss Skeeter isn't someone I could relate with at first. She was just another spoiled rich white girl from the south in the beginning of this book. She like an onion needed her layers peeled back. Her Mother was over bearing and overly critical and I had a hard time with this dynamic. My own Mother can be somewhat out spoken but has never intentionally made me feel bad about myself like Skeeter's Mother does consistently through out the book. Miss Skeeter comes up with the idea to write a book. She decides she wants to write the black maid's perspective on domestic life. She obviously had no idea what she was getting herself into when she started the project but by the end I think it made her a stronger person.

The character of Aibileen has the strongest voice in the book. We see her struggle with raising yet another white baby. We see her love a child that is not her own, knowing that one day that child will flip a switch in her head and start seeing Aibileen as less than. We see Aibileen show great courage in being the fist woman to record her stories for Miss Skeeter. Aibileen works for Miss Skeeter's close friend so it is difficult for them both to talk about the way Aibileen is treated.

The way these three very different women come together and share their lives with one another isn't a new story. I would say that over all this story has been told in different forms many times. I am not saying I didn't enjoy this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I did like that the two black maids had more of a voice in this book than the one white character. In that way it was different from other books that I have read. I didn't struggle too much with the dialect in which this book is written. I took a Diversity in American Literature class which had reading selections much more difficult and thick with dialect. I only mention it because I wasn't prepared for it when I picked the book up to start reading it. I generally prefer to know before hand if a book is written in a dialect. I tend to have to concentrate a little more on the reading when this is the case. I started this book a while ago but had to put it down until I had more time I could devote to it.

I would recommend this book to any one interested in race relations, female bonding, the south, and or a different view of American History. I would not say that anyone not at least a teen should read this book, as there are some graphic parts to it and some of the language is a bit harsh. I had a friend tell me they were thinking of reading it to their 6 year old. I don't think that would be a good idea.