The Help...Kathryn Stockett

About the book:
Author: Kathryn Stockett 

• Pub. Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Sold By: Penguin Group
• Format: Nookbook

Synopsis from BN.com

Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...

My Thoughts:
In all honesty, it took me two tries to read this book. The first time I tried reading it, I had to read it for an online book club. I couldn't get past the first chapter because of dialect the author used for the maid. Then this month my book club chose it for April. I don't want to say I felt obligated to read it because by no means was anyone forcing me to read the book. However, I felt I should because I was glad someone stepped out of the realm of YA and picked a book that could have turned out to have a rather controversial discussion.  Boy am I glad I read it. For me there were a lot of laughs and could have been some tears. There were also times when I found myself getting upset but I had to remind myself that it's a book.
The funny thing about this book is that, I could somewhat relate to the ladies that had help. Growing up in Jamaica, my family had live-in help from the time I was 7 until I was 12 when my parents moved to the United States. It was definitely a different time then and I don't think my mother was mean but I could definitely relate to how much time the kids spent with the maids and how attached they become to them.
I found that The Help gave readers somewhat of a peek of what black domestics dealt with in the past. I'm not sure how brave they would have been back then to speak out, albeit supposedly anonymously, against their owners. Yes some of the stories were good and some not so good. Although the author wrote a fictional novel, I believe there is quite a bit of truth to it.
I think the story was very well written and provided great imagery. Although I had a hard time reading in the "voice" chosen for the first maid the first time around, I still felt like I was in the head of that character. I was able to picture everything in the story, from the kids, to bridge club, to the league meetings and even Ms. Hilly eating that pie...LOL.
I am hoping this author comes out with another novel sooner than later.

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.