The Help
I finally got around to picking up The Help. It has been on my to-read list for quite some time, and I have heard so many good things about it. Luckily, it also helped me to check off another category on my reading challenge: A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you. This novel is set in Mississippi during the early 60’s when the Jim Crow laws were still in effect. It follows the stories of two maids and one white women who are tired of the status quo and want to do something, anything, to make a statement against the racism all around them. So they begin to write a book full of stories of what it is like to be a maid in the South. The good and the bad come pouring out, but getting caught could mean losing jobs, going to jail, or even dying.
I really loved this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve become so attached to characters that I was sad I wouldn’t be able to spend the next day in their world with them after finishing the book. Stockett writes lovable and sassy characters who don’t fit into the world they’ve been boxed into; and she creates them to be strong enough to do something about it. This is a book that envelops you into the era so much that I’ve spent a lot of time trying to analyze the feelings and thoughts I’m having. It escapes me how people can feel so small, and so desperate to remain in power that they want to stifle other’s greatness and, even worse, do so by taking away their basic human rights. It’s too complex of a subject to finish in one book review, but I think this book would be AMAZING for a book club!
I recommend this book to everyone! It’s a great story line. Bold, funny, and thought provoking.
Malia's Pizza Rating
Smoky sweet corn pizza with roasted okra and potato. For dessert? Two slices of Minny’s chocolate pie!