The Help is about black maids living in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s. Many maids, according to Stockett, faced a lot discrimination in their jobs at this time - from being forced to use separate bathrooms in the houses they worked in, to being accused of stealing. The Help takes you on a journey of several different characters' perspectives - told in large part by the maids and Skeeter, a white girl who quickly becomes an advocate for encouraing "the help" to tell their stories in a book she is writing. What I liked most about this book was how a young woman, despite popular opinion, decided to stand her ground for the black community by writing this book about the maids' lives. Skeeter lost her entire social life as a result of her non-conformance to the white socialite crowd in Jackson. This could have ruined her life entirely, but yet she kept on doing what she set out to do - write this book. I so very much admire people for standing up for what they truly believe in, especially in a time in this country when segregation was very real, and punishment for favoring the minority was severe. Another favorite aspect of the book for me was Aibileen's ritual of writing down her prayers everyday. I will admit that I often get distracted when praying - my mind starts wondering - and I thought this was such a genius idea and one that I will incorporate into my daily routine!
I would give The Help 4/5 stars, and would definitely recommend it to you as well! If you liked the Secret Life of Bees, then you will like The Help... but I stil liked the Bees even more! :)
Outcasts United is up next...
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