Welcome Book Lovers, Animal Lovers and men and women of the world!

I hope you find something to interest you in my blog. I wanted a place to share my love of books, make some sense of the Universe, and possibly make some friends along the way. If you like what you see, please feel free to comment, and if you are a fellow book lover or animal lover, it's a pleasure to know you. Come back any time and share your day with me!

Friday, April 30, 2010

Book Review-The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Apparently this book has made an impression on its readers, as it has been spotted everywhere from doctor's offices to fast food restaurants. I enjoyed the story and its characters a great deal. The plot was suspenseful enough to keep me turning pages, although it could have been boring based on its subject matter, the relationships between the help and the families who employed them in the homes of Jackson,Mississippi. I mean how much can be written about a day in the life of a maid? Well, apparently, a great deal. Stockett not only shows us the day to day grind of the help, but how they take an important role in the life of the white children they have a substantial hand in raising. She reveals that many of the "housewives" of Jackson, Mississippi had more than
what they were wearing to the next house party on their mind, what with the infidelity , the alcoholism, the insanity that ran in families, and more. Stockett quite literally brought tears to my eyes when the pastor of the black church presents one of the maids with a gift for her brave actions on behalf of the other members. What the author reveals is that while the "help" did not have monetary means, they had the support of a loving community behind them at all times, something not enjoyed by the white members of the community. In a frightening climax, we learn that one person can make a difference in the life of many. And that in this case "the help" was truly the one with the resources and the fortitude to be of incomparable assistance to the person assumed to be the more fortunate, in more cases than one. I don't want to give away any of the story since much of the pleasure I experienced in reading this book is in what happens in the last two chapters, so I hope I am summarizing the important message that "The Help" showed me without giving away any of the story line. I recommend this book heartily.

No comments:

Post a Comment