The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book is about a town in the 60's Mississippi. It tells the story of the black women who work in the town for the white families, and one women who decides she wants to change how the women are treated. Throught out the book the focus changes between a few main characters. Two maids: Minny an outspoken and strong willed woman and Aibileen a quiet but brave maid who loves the children she watches. Then Skeeter, the white women who wants to help them.

The book follows the life of these three women and how different each of their experiences are with in the same community. Skeeter's story tells how hard it is for her to express her feelings in a world that is so judgmental. In order to fit in you have to be just like everyone else. Surround by opinions that she does not share she feels trapped and is determined to find a way out and hopefully give a side of the story no one wants to hear.

Minny on the other hand is not afraid to express her thoughts but finds that every time she does she is punished. She has unfortunately learned that in order to survive she must keep her feelings inside.

Aibileen is a sweet older women who loves children. She has worked for several families and seen how children are influenced by their parents prejudice. The children she works with love her back, and it was sad to hear how much she cared for them knowing that when they grew up they would begin to 'see colour' and treat her differently.

This was a wonderfully read, I felt for each of the women in this book and how hard it was for them living in that time. This book really shows how it takes one strong person to lead and most people follow. It makes you think about how it so much easier to go with the crowd then stand up and try to speak your mind. 5/5

Ease of Reading:4
I was very invested in what was going to happen next that I never put it down. It was weird at first getting used to the way some of the women talked, but that added to the character of the book.

Lasting Effect: 4
I thought about what this book was trying to tell me a lot after reading it. It really made me think about racism and how glad I am that I have never seen it first hand.

Amusement: 4
I was amused by the characters thoughts and how they dealt with the situations around them. The women were all witty and funny in their own ways.

Plot: 5
I wanted so bad to see everything work out perfectly for the women in this story. The plot flowed well and there always seemed to be something interesting happening.

Creativity: 4
This was a very creative story, even if the premise is true. Kathryn did such a wonderful job of creating a believable town that I wasnt surprised that she grew up in a similar place, becuase it felt so real to me while reading it.

Length: 4

Characters: 5
I loved each of the characters and how different they were from each other but how well they worked together. They had genuine reactions to the world around them. Their choices in life were believable and not exaggerated or extreme in order to build excitement in the storyline.

Once again, great read. Perfect for a summer by the water.

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