Book #96 - The Help by Kathryn Stockett

During teacher inservice, the movie "The Help" opened on theaters, and all of my girlfriends at school were crazy about going to see it. I had seen the book at Target, Walmart, etc, but for whatever reason, I assumed (due to the title) that it was a spiritual self-help book. Since everyone was raving about it, I decided to pick up a copy and give it a go. Boy was I wrong. This was one of the most incredibly moving books I've read during this 19 month venture. This one touched me so much, and I've told our English teachers that I think it should become required reading for junior or senior English. The writer not only tells a heartbreaking and moving story, but she does it incredibly by allowing us to change perspective between the three leading ladies in the book. I can just see classroom discussion about what the time before the civil rights movement was like and then discussing how much has changed (or not changed) in that time. What a phenomenal story of unconditional love these "maids" tell when raising the white womens' children, and they do this knowing that one day, those children will grow up to be their bosses. This was a true jewel of a book, and I anxiously await another by Kathryn Stockett.