The Help by Kathryn Stockett, 4451 pagesOrange Longlist 2010
This is a book that lived up to its hype, and the hype will likely continue with its inclusion of the recently released Orange long listed books for 2010.
Setting: Mississippi, early 1960s
Published: 2009
Main characters: Miss Skeeter- daughter of a cotton plantation owner, recently graduated from university, didn't nab a husband at university and may be too tall to find one now,
Minnie and Aibilene - two black maids who work for some of Miss Skeeter's Junior League friends
Other Characters I liked: Stuart- the son of the state senator and blind date of Miss Skeeter was a minor character I liked
Miss Celia and her husband Johnnie - a white couple a little on the outside of the cook kids
Point of View: alternating first person between the three main characters
Title Significance: Minnie and Aibilene are 'the help' to the rich, or wanna be rich, white women of Jackson, Mississiippi
Plot: I knew very little about the book before I started, other than it was about race relations. It's a female dominated book, centering on race relations. That's all you really need to know.
Where I Read It: For a good chunk of the book, I read it through the night, in between helping my daughter throw up every 20 to 30 minutes. It was a high interest, easy read, with well developed characters and a plot that flew along, perfect for a late night
Other Books to Read: Mudbound, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret Life of Bees
Connection to Another Book I Read Recently: In The Book of Negroes, the main character didn't eat pork since she was a Muslim when she was kidnapped in Africa. When Skeeter is telling a bit about her family's maid, she mentions that her maid seldom ate pork.
Also Reviewed At:
lesley's book nook
arths at reading on a rainy day
devourer of books
caribou's mom
bellezza at dolcebellezza
