The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Overall Rating: 10/10

The Help is about three strong female characters who come together for a common cause of highlighting the realities of being a Black maid/housecleener/domestic servant/nanny in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960's. The three women forge a deep friendship and mutual appreciation for each other while documenting the stories of hardships, joy, and overall reality of life in the 60's during the rise of the civil rights movement in the United States.

I enjoyed the author's ability to use the alternating voices of three protagonists with three distinct backgrounds, perspectives, and communication styles. I'm not sure if it is something I don't like, but there is cause for reflection that the author, Kathryn Stockett, is a White women writing about Black stories. However, that is one of the main storylines in the book -- a white women in the 60's giving a voice to Black women during a time when Black women's voices were suppressed. So, hmmm...

I would recommend this book to anyone.

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Reviewed by Ms. Stevenson.