"The Help" is the story of three women: two black and one white, and takes place during the Civil Rights era. This was a volatile time in our nation's history -- especially in the South -- and more especially in Jackson, Mississippi where so much violence was acted out against the black people.
Skeeter, the white woman, finds that all of her preconceived notions and training had actually been blindness towards "The Help" (that many white women employed in those days.) Minny is a feisty black maid who continually loses jobs because of her mouth -- i.e., her honesty. Abileen is the wise, kindly and astute maid of one of Skeeter's best childhood friends who has "bought" into that way of life. *** Each woman changes very slowly as maids decide (with great courage) to share their stories -- good and bad -- with Skeeter. Skeeter's friends literally blackball her from their friendship circle and social lives.
When Skeeter's book "Help" is published, she learns who her true friends are -- and aren't. Each of the three women become free to be who they truly are. It's an inspiring book.
I grow up in the South and we had a cleaning woman named Mattie. I loved her dearly and couldn't understand why she would never sit down and eat lunch with me; and why her eyes became shuttered when I asked her (in my total ignorance) what she thought of Malcomb X. I really wanted to know. After reading "The Help" I understand why she behaved like that. I'm also sure that my Mom paid her a pittance for the work that she did for us. "That was the way that it was." *** Mattie came when I was in junior high when my mom went back to work. She left long after I was married. She had developed Alzheimers. When my mom and I were in a terrible accident over 20 years ago, Mattie stayed with her during her long recovery. I'll never forget her. She was special. And to think that I'm was grandmother before I had any inkling of her life. Forgive me, Mattie. ( )

Fabulous!!!! Couldn't put it down. At times, it was so sweetly written that I had to put it down. ( )

What a wonderfull book, could not put it down, my husband like also.

I can see why this adult novel is making its rounds around book clubs in public libraries--it's a feel-good novel about middle-aged women. Reminded me of Driving Miss Daisy and To Kill a Mockingbird because of the concentration on race relations and the relationship between white women and their maids. The narration rotates between three characters. Aibileen is a African-American who is on about her seventeenth baby that she has raised for white families. Miss Skeeter is a white woman who lives with parents, wants to be a writer, and believes that black maids have a story to tell. Minny is an African-American maid who has been fired tons of times for smarting off. The three women tell a story of racial injustice in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s. Really, I think this is more of a story for adult women than teenagers, but I know some mature female teenagers will enjoy the read. ( )

An excellent read. It was hard to put down once into it and the characters became very real to me. Perhaps its flaw is that a white woman writer is assuming to know the feelings of black maids living in Mississippi in the 60s but she certainly was able to describe vividly some of the awful treatment that went on. The saddest part is the fact that some whites still hold this attitude. ( )