You know how a book just moves you to the point that you have to discuss it with others who have read it. That is that this book did to me. I couldn't get it out of my mind and have re-read it more then once.
Set in early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, "Skeeter" has just returned to Jackson after graduating from Ole Miss. Skeeter unlike her friends, is unmarried and mostly in limbo, but has the dream of being a writer.
Abileen, is a regal and devoted black woman who has proudly raised over seventeen of Jackson's finest young children while serving as domestic help in the homes of their parents. Abileen is grieving the loss of her son who lost his life due to racial strife.
Minny, who is Abileen's younger friend, is one of the sassiest among most of the domestic help in Jackson. She can cook like nobody's business, but also has a tongue that can get her fired from a job faster then you can say "pass the grits". Minny finally gets hired by a young lady who is too new to town for others to quite know her reputation. She also carries a secret of her own.
From totally different worlds, these three women come together for a clandestine project that can put all of them at great risk. The Help is a timeless and universal story that holds a message for all who read it.
Great discussion for classrooms studying the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.
Suggestion: Ask your librarian to booktalk The Help as an introduction to a discussion about civil rights.
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