The Help

It’s not often that I read a book after seeing the movie.  Usually, they are so very different that it hurts my head to make sense of what I’m reading!  But I was pleasantly surprised with Kathryn Stockett’s The Help.  The well known movie staring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain has been one of my favorites since I first saw it in 2011, and now the novel will be a favorite as well.  While there are small differences between the two, it felt as though I was learning more about the characters through the writing, not dealing with completely different people or storylines.

Set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960’s, the novel focuses on relationships between the city’s white housewives and their black domestic workers (aka: the help).  With mentions of important events in the Civil Rights movement like Dr King’s speech and Medgar Evers’ murder, the writing has the feel of an intimate diary or documentary, delving into the uncomfortable and taboo topics, even in today’s society.  But more than anything, this book is a story about female empowerment, and not much separates us outside of our own biases.

I give The Help 4 out of 5 stars.  As mentioned, I truly enjoyed this book and it will definitely be at the top of my book list.  There were a few aspects of storyline that bothered me – mostly the failure of Skeeter to stand up to her friends in even the smallest way until the end when all caring nearly goes out the window.  I did appreciate the honest recounting of the struggles many domestic workers faced in the 60’s in terms of the ultimatums given to them by their employers or the constant fear of being accused of something they did not do.

I would recommend this book to mature audiences.  With topics of abusive relationships, alcohol dependency, discrimination, and miscarriages, this book may be a difficult read for some.  If you like historical fiction or southern fiction, this book is definitely for you!

I chose The Help for the Booklist Queen reading challenge prompt “with an animal on the cover”.  Where more recent version of the book cover feature the movie’s stars sitting on a park bench, the original printing of this book featured white doves against a yellow background, similar to the book cover described in the novel.  If you liked the movie, but haven’t yet read the book, I urge you to pick up a copy today!

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: Killing Jesus, Bill O’Reilly
• Current audio book: When You Trap a Tiger, Tae Keller
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Born a Crime, Trevor Noah