Latest Read: The Help

Yes, I've waited far too long to read this one and I'm not sure why.  I think it probably had something to do with the ridiculously long waitlist at the library.  Luckily, on my recent trip to Chicago, my mother lent me her copy and I sped through this book and was finished in two days!

 

As evidenced by my speedy reading of this book, The Help is quite compelling.  The story is told through the perspective of three different women (two black maids and one young white woman) and offers a rich understanding of the relationship between blacks and whites in the South during the '50s and '60s.  I can't decide whether Aibileen or Minny is my favorite character...both are clearly defined and their personalities leap off the pages.  While I do like Skeeter too, for some reason she seems more two-dimensional and flat compared to the black maids.  The only criticism I have of the book is that the ending left much to be desired.  It was somewhat abrupt and made me yearn for further knowledge of what became of these characters since I'd become so attached to their fates over the course of the story.  Overall, it was a absorbing novel and I would heartily recommend to most readers as the book has a very wide appeal.

4/5 stars.