The Help

Have just read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. It's getting close to my birthday and I am not allowed to buy any books in case they are on my present list, so am combing the bookshelves for the odd not-yet- read. I think my mum read this and gave it to me. I was a bit wary of it - a white author covering the experience of black maids. In fairness to the author she covers this in notes at the back of the book and obviously had some concerns herself. She grew up in the American South and her family had 'help' so she does have direct experience.

On the plus side it's an easy read and a page-turner. The story is told mainly from the perspective of a black maid and a white daughter-of-the plantation though there are other first person narratives. The style is that each have their own chapters, giving their perspective of the same time and events. The characters are engaging and colourful but perhaps a bit stereotypical. The characters are all women with men playing only walk-on parts and to illustrate how strong, resilient, moral the main women characters are.

It tells a story worth telling - the white women are just dreadful (except our white heroine). They are bigoted, snobby, dim. The treatment of the maids is awful. However, I think it is still a much sanitised version of the reality.

The civil rights movement is getting going and Martin Luther King has come to prominence - this is lightly covered, as background.

It's not a challenging read and perhaps that's a bit strange for such a challenging subject. It's all very lightly done and you always feel its all going to work out. I am not surprised its been made into a film - I can also see it as a waltonesque television series - its a tough life but full of good people and the good people win in the end!

It does avoid a a Spielberg ending though - I don't know if the film does.

I did enjoy reading it and I liked the characters but don't expect depth. One for the beach perhaps.