Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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Synopsis: It is the 1960s, the world continues to evolve but life for African Americans, especially in Jackson, Mississippi, remains complicated and even dangerous. African American women have worked as domestic help in white American households for decades. Until Skeeter decides to write a book full of interviews with various maids, the rest of the world never knew what it was like for these working women. And suddenly, Jackson's secrets become a best seller. 

Review: This book is beautifully written, with each chapter presented in a character's point of view. There's Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny. I think dividing the chapters as such makes the book more interesting and it kept the story lines fresh. The dialogues were believable, as in I could see those events and complexities between characters occurring in that setting. There were characters that I liked a lot more than others, and that's a good thing. I think it shows that they are not one dimensional, and they have believable, realistic characteristics.

Although the subject of this story is not completely cheery, The Help is not a depressing book. I think the author has successfully mixed the good and the bad, she's even added some humor, which I think a lot of people would really enjoy. I know I did.

Overall, I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It focuses on a time that I have not read many novels about. At four hundred plus pages this book is quite comprehensive, and there were times when I wish the plot moved along a little faster but I'm kind of impatient like that, and I just wanted to see what happens to these characters. In the end, I found the last bits very satisfactory. 

Ratings: 4 out of 5 

Have you read The Help?
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