Monday, August 29, 2011

Book Review- The Help

Not my image

Wonderful.
Amazing.
Touching.
Funny.
Heartbreaking.
Beautiful.

This book is all of those things and more. 
I had heard so many wonderful things about this book prior to reading it.
It was this month's selection for our book club and Im so glad it was.
I breezed right through it and did not want it to end. 
Now Im excited to see the movie, which will hopefully come out here later this month.

The book is told from the perspective of three different women, living in 
Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s- 
Skeeter who is a young white woman, home after graduating college and unsure
what her next step will be.
Aibileen- A middle aged black woman who works for Skeeter's best friend
and 
Minny- a middle aged black woman who is always getting fired for her sass mouth
and Aibileen's best friend.

Skeeter is an aspiring writer and after witnessing the prejudices and injustices that take
place in her town, she decides to write an anonymous book about "The Help"- 
what it's like to be a black woman working for a white family in Mississippi.
After much consideration, Aibileen and Minny overcome their fears and decide to help
Skeeter write the book in secret. 

This is a very well written book. The characters come to life and the author does a 
wonderful job of making you care about them. The book offers a very real and 
raw view of what it was like to live in the South in the 1960s. 
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who hasnt ready it yet! 

I cant wait to see the movie, but it doesnt come out here until November. =/


Rating: *****



Rating Scale
*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!
****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!
***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written. 
**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok. 
*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.



4 comments:

Amanda said...

I'm reading this book right now! I'm only a few chapters in, but I love it so far. I'm looking forward to the movie....whenever it plays here.

Kate said...

I have this book (and a few others!) ready to read on my bedside table.... But I'm trying to make it through the mountain of back-logged magazines I have under the bed (between nursing school and pregnancy, there just wasn't much point to reading Fitness Magazine...haha!) before I open a new book.... I can't wait to read the book...and the movie is already on my NetFlix list for as soon as it's out on DVD...movie dates with the baby just don't sound like much fun....

Monica B said...

I loved it too! Can't wait to see the movie!

Chantal said...

Awesome book!! I read it on our trip to Australia and loved it. I can't wait to see the movie!