By: Rosario Neria

 

Kathryn Stockett’s the Help (2009), features a view into the lives of those who want to change things, Miss Skeeter, Aibileen Clark, and Minny Jackson. Set at Jackson, Mississippi the characters of this book are written within stories that will have the reader wondering weather they are real people who were really in these situations and not a fictional book of these stories. The reader believes in Miss Skeeter’s brave influence, in Aibileen’s caring nature, and in Minny’s uneasy trust, also the harsh and cruel personalities of some of the white people in town such as Miss Hilly. With all of this the reader would be sucked into the stories of these three women.

 

Miss Skeeter is a white woman who had an idea to show the world what it is like to work for a white family, by getting life stories from some of the black maids who worked for the white families in town. Her story is made up of her struggle to become an author and receiving the stories of the other maids, loosing her friends along the way.

 

Aibileen Clark is a black woman -who works for Elizabeth Leefolt; is for a time, raising Mae Mobley, her 17^th white child. She worked for the white families quietly taking orders but found a new bitternes after her sons death. Her story relates on how she as the first to speak of her story, tries to convince others to speak as well as her view of the world around her.

 

Minny Jackson is a black maid who is known not only for her cooking but, also for her smart mouth and rudimentary behavior. Resisting to share her stories not understanding why a white woman would care about what she has to say, even though she has a lot to say. Her story also shows how life is like working for a white woman. A woman who is very mysterious and harbors secrets that would leave the reader speechless.

 

These three women’s stories fill this book with a new understanding of what it was like for those who needed to watch their step when it came to the rights of the black community, there was always a threat of being beaten, houses being destroyed, being put in jail, and loosing all who were close to you, for “going over the line.”

 

Stockett wrote this book showing all of this and more, she built this book as if it was fact, the reader not knowing if it was. The reader will be amazed by the strength there is when one has hope for change. At a rating of 1-10 I would rate this to be a 9 with secrets, fear of punishment, and a view that is not often seen this book as a wonderful collection of stories.

 

As an old fear carries a view into a world that many have not truly seen, this book is surely a fascinating and interesting read. You can buy this book at Barnes & Nobles paperback for $10.98 or $9.99 for your Nook.