The Help

Imagine yourself in a stuffy closed room. No fan, no air conditioning. Middle of summer. 90 degree heat and 100 percent humidity. This is how the women of Kathryn Stockett's The Help lived their day to day lives. 

It was the year 1962. Skeeter was a Southern society woman with a secret project- a book detailing the lives of the African-American maids hired by many women. From her mother to her 'best friends'.

Aibileen mothers lonely white children to help nurse the loss of her own son, killed at work by racist men.

Minny, a sassy maid, deals with unemployment as her former employee sullies her reputation with lies. 

These three women form a bond forded with the glue of secrecy and fear and pride.

Kathryn Stockett makes the Civil Rights Act a personal experience. One that hits right in the heart. Each of her characters is written with a detail that makes them almost more alive than your very own next door neighbor.

*444 pages