First, I should state clearly that I listened to it on unabridged audio before I read it, and the audiorecording is … pitch perfect. Absolutely mesmerizing. There are four voice actors, all women, who narrate the different perspectives and bring the characters to life. My suggestion would be that if the option is available to you, you first listen to this book in unabridged audio.
This is Stockett’s first novel, but it reads like the work of a well established writer. Stockett is a native of Mississippi, and that’s where this novel is set, opening in 1962. The primary white character is a young woman called Skeeter by her friends, twenty three years old and a graduate of Ole Miss, who goes home to Jackson and her family’s cotton farm only to find she’s outgrown the place. Her friends are married and her mother thinks she should be married, too, as quickly as possible, but Skeeter wants to be a writer. It’s a goal that seems entirely out of reach until she goes to see the local newspaper editor and comes away with her first assignment — writing a housekeeping hints column.
Skeeter doesn’t know anything about housekeeping, because in Jackson in that time, middle class white families all had domestic help. She’s never had to clean a bathroom, but now she’s supposed to answer letters from women who want to know how to get a stubborn ring out of a bathtub. Skeeter’s friend Elizabeth has a maid who is very capable and approachable both, and Skeeter begins to consult with Abileen on the letters she must answer for the column.
This is the opening to the crux of the story, because it is through this contact with Abileen that Skeeter starts to see things from the other side. An idea comes to her: she could write a book about the maids who tend white households and raise white babies, but from their perspective. It is a daring, even shocking idea for her time and place, and it’s not something she could do alone. For this she needs not only Abileen’s help, but another eleven maids who are willing to sit down with her and tell their stories. To tell their real stories, the things that they would never, under ordinary circumstances, tell any white woman.
In Jackson in 1962, this was not a neutral proposal. Violence toward African Americans was widespread and unapologetic, and so at first no one wants to risk life and limb and income to help Skeeter. She understands very well why the maids stay away, but she and Abileen persist and in time, win over enough maids to proceed with putting the book together.
In the course of this novel we get to know Abileen and Minnie — both maids, very different in their circumstances and histories, but best friends who support each other in very difficult times. Skeeter’s editor in New York says of Minnie: ” She is every Southern woman’s worst nightmare. I adore her.” Collaborating on this book is something that Skeeter and the maids do under the strictest conditions of confidentiality, Skeeter’s discomfort with the attitude and practices of her closest friends increases to the point that she can no longer simply go along to get along. She takes a stand against a ‘better hygiene’ initiative (that is, all families must put an extra bathroom in the garage for the use of black household help, because white people should not be obliged to use the same facilities as blacks). This proposal that Skeeter opposes was written by Hllly, who was once her best friend and who is now at the head of Jackson’s social elite. Hilly is so offended by Skeeter that she goes to great lengths to ruin her in Jackson, and succeeds. Thus Skeeter loses all her friends and is without anyone to talk to except the maids she works with in the evenings, recording their histories. The very women she cannot acknowledge or visit openly, for fear that they will suffer violent repercussions and lose their jobs.
The real magic of this novel is the way Stockett creates such distinctive narrative voices for each of the main characters. Abileen and Minnie fairly jump off the page, as does Skeeter. Stockett manages this in part because she handles the African-American vernacular of the maids — they tell their stories in first person — with absolute perfection. You can hear them speaking. And she does all that without resorting to the condescending misspellings used by so many authors. Here’s a bit from a chapter narrated by Skeeter:
“So this is what you do on the weekends?” I asked. “In your spare time?” I liked the idea of capturing her life outside of work, when she wasn’t under the eye of Elizabeth Leefolt.
“Oh no, I write a hour, sometimes two ever day. Lot a ailing, sick peoples in this town.”
I was impressed. That was more than I wrote on some days. I told her we’d try it just to get the project going again.
Aibileen takes a breath, a swallow of Coke, and reads on.
She backtracks to her first job at thirteen, cleaning the Francis the First silver service at the governor’s mansion. She reads how on her first morning, she made a mistake on the chart where you filled in the number of pieces so they’d know you hadn’t stolen anything.
“I come home that morning, after I been fired, and stood outside my house with my new work shoes on. The shoes my mama paid a month’s worth a light bill for. I guess that’s when I understood what shame was and the color of it too. Shame ain’t black, like dirt, like I always thought it was. Shame be the color of a new white uniform your mother ironed all night to pay for, white without a smudge or a speck a work-dirt on it.”
This is a novel that is mostly about women, black and white, in a time when the traditional roles and relationships were beginning to change. It’s a disturbing story in many ways, but it is also a hopeful one, in the end, without any tinge of the fairytale about it. I was just so sorry to let these women go.
So I’m going to give away a copy of The Help because you need to read it. It’s not out in paper yet, but the winner will be able to chose from the following formats: hardcover, ebook, or unabridged audio (downloadable). When it does come out in trade paper, I’ll give away a couple more copies. if you’ve already read it, please throw your name in the hat anyway and let me know what you thought of it. You may still win, and then you’ll have a copy to give away, too.
Sounds good…I will definitely put that one on my TBR list.
I have to tell you also that I just finished The Magician’s Assistant this morning and I loved it so, so much. Thanks for all your recommendations.
Sounds fascinating; I’ll put it on my list.
I am so intrigued by this book Rosina. Your description has really whetted my appetite, and I can’t wait to read it.
I’d love my name to go in the hat, otherwise I’ll have to track it down myself as it sounds like a must-read.
I have just last night finished reading “The Pyjama Girls Of Lambert Square” and oh my, I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want it to end. I’d love to hear more about these characters, hint, hint!
That sounds fascinating — I’m definitely going to have to read it, one way or another.
The Help was one of the best books I’ve read – ever. A friend loaned her library copy to me (I returned it on time, no worries), I sat in my most comfy reading chair and over the course of one gray Sunday, I read the whole book. That’s what I love about having teenagers – they can feed themselves! ;-)
Oh, and I’d love to own a copy! So please throw my virtual hat into the ring!
Please add my name to the hat. Sounds like an interesting book.
Ooh, put my name in. That sounds good enough to tempt me into reading, and I’ve been in a non-reading dry spell for too long.
Sounds like an enlightening read. Thanks for the chance.
I am just dying to read “The Help”… in fact, I’m already thinking that I might have to jump over to my public library webpage to request it through interlibrary loan. You know, to increase my chances of getting to read it sooner…
No, don’t put my name in the pot. I just downloaded it to my Kindle2. Just one more step towards spending $10K on books that it will hold before it’s full.
Wow this does sound like a good one! I just got Little Giant of Aberdeen County the other day. So I needed another one for the long list! Thanks for suggesting this one.
Throw my name in. Sounds like a good read, will have to put it on my list. Interesting to hear that it was really good on audio… I almost never “read” that way but maybe I should try it.
Sounds amazing! I’m just moved to North Carolina from the Pacific NW, and would love to read some Southern-based fiction. Thank you!
This sounds like the most interesting plot I’ve heard of in ages- thanks for the recommendation! Please add my name to the hat :) I’ll be adding this book to my list, too.
Please throw my name in the hat. Sounds like a great read.
I would love to read this book, I have heard so much about it from others that it is excellent.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Sounds like a wonderful book! Please put my name in the hat for the drawing.
Jessica, try Margaret Maron’s Deborah Knott Mystery series. She lives in the Raleigh area, is from there, and understands the way of talking, thinking, family importance, race, agriculture, etc. A good way to introduce yourself to NC stuff.
This sounds like such a great story I can hardly wait to read it myself. Just reading your review on it and I felt like I was there. I would definitely love to win a copy.
Sounds great! Please put my name in the hat.
I’ll go look for it soon. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for another chance to win a book!
Please add my name to the hat. And now to put it on the to-be-read list.
Sounds good! I’ll read it and recommend it to my book club.
This sounds wonderful. If I’m not lucky enough to win it, I’ll have to get it myself.
I would love a copy! And another one added to by TBR pile.
That sounds really good… I’ll put it on my list.
Thanks for the review. Sounds like another great one to add to my pile ‘o books to be read!
I will have to put this one on my list as well, please throw my name in the hat. Thanks
I would like to read it. Please put my name in the hat. Thanks.
Rosina, you have a way of relating these stories that I wouldn’t normally read and making them seem so interesting that I just have to read them and find out more. Thanks again for great recomendations.
This is a book that I discovered just recently while browsing for something new on amazon and added it to my wish list because it sounded so interesting (glad to read your take on it, too). I’d love to read it! Please add my name to the hat. Thank you.
I’ve come across this book as “recommended for me” in several places. Nice to see such a glowing review here. Please put my name in the hat…it will be great to read some good Mississippi fiction while I’m down here sweltering!
This sounds wonderful – please include me in the draw.
Can’t wait to read it. Sounds great.
I’m new to this site – hello :) – and your review makes this book sound wonderful.
Please include me in the draw & if I don’t win I will visit Amazon.
That sounds like a great book. Please put my name in the hat!!
Sounds like something I’d enjoy. Please put my name in the hat. Thanks, Rosina, for sharing good reads with us.
Sounds like a great book! Throw my name in!
I would love a copy of The Help. It’s a thrill to find a new author! Mary Ann
I am actually partway through this book after finally reaching the top of the library waitlist, but I can already tell I’m going to want to read it again! Please put my name in the hat.
I’ve heard many wonderful things about this novel, please put my name in the draw (and pulling my name as the winner would be even better!!! :P)
This book looks interesting. Please include me too. Thank you.
You don’t need to put my name in the hat because I already have a copy. I just wanted to say that I loved this book too. Rosina, I was thinking of you when I read it knowing that you would love the different voices of the characters. It is a remarkable book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it even after I finished it. As I was reading, I just felt I wasn’t reading what these women were saying, I felt that I was actually hearing them, so clear were their voices. Fantastic book. Congratulations to whoever wins the book because it is such a treasure. By the way, it is out in trade paperback in Australia for those of you that are over here.
Another interesting book for my TBR list….please add my name to the hat!
Please add my name to the hat! (fingers crossed)
I would love to read this book and I suppose since I am an addicted print reader although audio book are great I would choose the hardback version. Thanks for the chance. Wonderful review by the way!!!
First of all, I must say I love YOUR books – and wish you were giving some of them away! I saw “The Help” reviewed online the other day and actually added it to my “must read” list so for now please add my name to the drawing. Thanks so much!