Well I am finally able to start doing my book review for 2011! I am very proud of myself, I am actually reading again!
Pretty sure that I will not reach my 11 books in 2011 but I am still happy with my 3 so far! :O)
Bare with me, I havent written a book report in at least 10 years! lol
The book that I read is called “The Help” – if you haven’t heard about it or the movie recently you must be living under a rock!
I decided to jump on the band wagon and pick up this book for my summer read at the cabin. It was as good as all the reviews said. In my defination a page turner!
From the very beginning of the book you can feel the tense nature that most of the well off families had between their “help”. Even though this book takes place over 50 years ago I still cannot believe that there was a world like this. I think the most surprising “rule” that the “help” had to follow was the seperate bathroom issue.
As I read about the lives that the “help” had to lead in the homes of the well off whites I was appauled at what was expected of them. On top of the cleaning, preparing food, and laundry these women raised the children in the homes. Mae Mobley was one of the children always talked about and she pretty much loved her “help”, Aibileen, as a mother more than her own mother. What did these white women do all day? lol Sounds like a great life.
This book brought humor to the lives too. You just had to laugh at the stories that were told. Skeeter, the main character of the book, is not just the other well off whites. She is a worker – she strives to be a great writter. She isn’t like the other ladies that just sit around and shoot the shit with each other. Skeeter finds and outlet and a topic to write about, using the lives of the “help”.
While she does this she gains trust and friendship of some of the black women she interviews for the book. Skeeter knows that what she is doing is risky for her but especially for the black women she is writing about. She takes the risk and so does the “help”! So powerful!
The strength of the working women of this time really shines through in this book.
This time was hard for blacks but I cannot imagine the strength that these women had to have to get up every morning and deal with their life as “help”.
I would label this book as a historical chic lit book. Educational but full of drama and romance.
Now that I am on my way (finally) to my 11 books please comment and let me know what books you love!! Need some good ones to keep me interested!
I absolutely loved this book!! I'm so glad that I read it before seeing the movie! Glad you liked it!
Loved the help! One of my favorites. I am in charge of the book club in my town so if you ever need suggestions,lmk!
I read this book this summer too, and I loved it! I just wish there was a little bit more closure at the end, like more about what happened to Skeeter's maid that she had as a child (can't remember her name, I finished the book back in August). Have you seen the movie yet? I haven't, I can't wait to see it!
Next on my book list is Memory Keeper's Daughter, I've been wanting to read it for a long time.
I LOVE the Dan Brown Novels. Any and all of them. He is a great author!
must get my hands on "the help"
I've been wanting to read this one. Right now, we're reading The Lightning Thief for book club. It's a young adult book, so it's a pretty quick read. So far, I'm enjoying it.