It should be The Help.
I originally bought it to read at the beach, but Karin and I ended up talking and people-watching more than reading – which is really saying something for two bookworms like us. Anyhow, I bought The Help with intentions to read it seaside and didn’t dive into it fully until we got home on Monday. I finished it last night, which meant I read roughly 100 pages per day with full anticipation.
Wow.
First, Kathryn Stockett is a really good writer. REALLY good. Oh how I’d love to weave stories like she does! For a first-time novelist, I’m blown away.
Secondly, the subject matter is intense and so rich with detail that I felt equally enraged and encouraged from beginning to end. The book is set in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, when segregation meant your black maid was raising your white children while you attended your Junior League meetings, bridge club and hair appointments. The novel takes turns from three points of view – two maids and one educated white college graduate who wants to tell their stories.
A post like this was originally going to be written for Water for Elephants, which I finished two weeks ago and poured over every single page with interest. But The Help has much more emotional and social importance that it takes precedence.
(However, if you’re going to read a second book this summer, go ahead with Water for Elephants.)
“The Help” (the movie) comes out in August.
Happy Reading!