What I'm Reading Now:

Sunday, January 8, 2012

The Help

Title: The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Pages: 451

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis:  Skeeter returns to her home in Mississippi after graduating from Ole Miss in 1962.  The black maid who raised her was no longer employed by her family and nobody will tell her what has happened to her.  Skeeter gets a job with a local newspaper answering mailbag questions about cleaning and household chores and she develops a relationship with one of her friends' maids, Aibileen.  In time, Skeeter begins to draft a book about what it is like for a black woman to work as hired help in Jackson, Mississippi in the height of the civil rights movement.

My Review:  I don't think that I loved this book as much as many others have, but I certainly enjoyed the book, the writing style, and how the story was presented.  I had a hard time putting my finger on the climax and once I did, I felt that it was a little too drawn out for my liking.  I especially enjoy books like this because I find it very difficult to imagine just how bad racial tensions were in the South during this time period.  The country has made great strides since that time.

1 comment:

Ben said...

I'm with you on this one. Good book, but not quite up to all the hype over it. Have you seen the movie? I think I actually like the movie more than the book, and would recommend it.