The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My summer reading binge has begun! It's been hard to "read for pleasure" while being a teacher, but as the school year comes to a close and the weather makes for a good time reading out on the porch, I begin my merciless devouring of books.

The first book I had an interest in was "The Help." Truthfully, I had no idea what it was about when I went to the library and picked it off the shelf. I don't know whether I heard it on the news, on the radio, or in the teacher workroom, but I knew it was a bestseller and lucky me, the library had a copy with my name on it.

Now, if I had known what this book was about, I probably would have scoffed and never read it. Do I really want to read about black maids or "help" in 1960's Mississippi? Have you seen the list of books I've read? But the day I brought it home and broke open the first page, I was hooked. Through the voices of 3 characters, an intimate world of dangerous, complicated relationships is revealed - a division of labor based on race, the cruelty and pettiness of rich white women, and the danger of antagonizing social and racial boundaries.

While the book kept my attention, there were some things that bothered me. First, I really didn't like Miss Skeeter, one of the three protagonists in the story. I know I'm supposed to like her, but I find her ridiculously creepy. She stalks Aibileen (one of the maids) for months and harasses her for ideas and to help with Skeeter's book idea. If I had been Aibileen, I would have been like, "Look, leave me alone already." Her obsessive compulsive nature is annoying and I disliked reading the chapters when she "spoke."

Second, the ending was sort of anti-climatic and questionable. Did Milly finally leave Leroy? Has Miss Hilly been fully "punished"? I'm satisfied with some details, but I'd still like more. More, more, more. There's a rushed feeling about the ending, like Stockett got bored and said, "Okay, this and this happens aaaaaaaaand the end!"

Nonetheless, it's still a worthwhile book to pick up.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett receives an 8/10.