I finished reading Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel, The Help, last night. I believe from what I remember when I quickly scanned her bio on the back page that it is her first novel. I may be wrong. If it is, what a hell of a first book to publish. I could not put it down. When I finished it I was sad because I wanted to keep reading about the characters.
The Help is several stories intertwined with one another set in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960′s when racial segregation was prime. The stories are told from the point of view of 2 colored women, Abilene and Minny, who are the hired help and from Eugene “Skeeter” Phelan, a white woman who came up with an idea of writing a book with true stories of how the “help” was treated in the homes that they worked for.
It took a few minutes of reading only to get used to the dialect that was used for Abilene and Minny while telling their stories but it was well worth the effort. If I closed my eyes I could see them in my mind and hear their voices speaking.
I cannot imagine growing up in such an environment. Mississippi at that time was one of the worst states for racial discrimination. It is hard to believe that a simple thing as the color of one’s skin determined how a person could live. Incredible. That’s not to say that it’s even over. In pockets all over the world it still exists.
For those who don’t know my entire family, on my mother’s side, resides in Rio and Sao Paulo, Brazil. While I was growing up here I would spend my summers there and was basically taken care of during those summers by my aunt’s domestic help. They were all colored. I grew up with those women and formed friendships. I have stayed in touch with one of them over the years. The situation however in Brazil was/is different of course than what happened in the US during the 60′s. Domestic help there was very cheap during the 70′s and 80′s. I’m sure it still is but I don’t really discuss it with my cousins so I’m not sure. But when I was there in my childhood it was very common.
I’m curious now to see the movie and see if it lives up to the book. Has anyone seen it and read the book?
I haven seen the movie and read the book. I thought they were both fantastic, however the movie did deviate somewhat from the book near the end, which disappointed me, though the ending was still good.
I loved this book.
It did however kind of remind me of some people I know and how they treat (or mistreat) their nannies from the Philippines.
Although much has changed since the 50ies & 60ies there are sadly still many cultural boundaries for many women around the world.
Haven’t seen the movie yet, have you?
No I haven’t seen the movie yet, but looking forward to it, hopefully they didn’t change too much of it
LOVED the book. Loved the movie.
I loved the book. I remember reading it when I first had my daughter and I’d just rock and read! I actually took her to the crybaby matinee movie to go see it. It was a good movie–very true to the book.