The Help

I recently completed "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Why can't all books be as difficult to put down as this one? Stockett has you hooked almost instantly. The book takes place during the civil rights movement in a place that I always would have referred to as bumblefuck until reading this. Now I think this place is too scary to be bumblefuck--more like lynching land. It's from the point of view of 3 people: a young single girl who recently graduated college, and 2 black maids. The single white character really shows us that being single was even worse in olden times. The black maids would probably make anyone feel lazy and spoiled, but not in a bad way. In a "wow, those women are so impressive, how can they still be nice to anyone, and I am so happy I am not them" sort of way. Stockett is white and I think she did a god job of writing in the voice of a black woman from that era. We follow the women from their typical day to day lives through a fight against racism. All of the characters grow and evolve throughout the story and by the end of it you feel proud of each of them. I was surprised that this was Stockett's first book because it sounded like she has been writing forever! When I heard what this book was about I thought it sounded kind of boring but i figured whatever i'll read it anyway. But its NOT boring! It is the opposite of boring (i.e. Eat Pray Love)! I actually chose to read this instead of finding out why Sydney Bristow had been missing for 2 years in Season 3 of Alias (I am completely hooked on Alias right now). I don't know if that gives anyone an idea of how much of a page turner this is, but hopefully you get the gist.