The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 this compelling novel explores race relations during this tumultuous time from three different viewpoints: Skeeter, a recent college graduate who has returned home; Aibleen, a black domestic worker who has raised 17 white children; and Minny, a younger black domestic worker who finds it hard to hold her tongue with her employers and is frequently fired. Skeeter aspires to be a writer, and no longer fits in with her childhood friends who have become wives and mothers, with their own domestic workers. She begins to question the entire way of life in her native South, especially with regard to the racial divide. She attempts to collect the stories of the black women employed as domestics to clean, cook and raise the children of the whites in her town. This proves to be no easy feat as the maids are clearly frightened of retribution. All the while Skeeter begins to look more closely at her own family and upbringing, having to face truths she would rather not. Aibleen must come to terms with her grief over the death of her son in a tragic accident. And Minny must try to keep her family together while finding employment with a new family whose wife is from the "wrong side of the tracks." The three points of view give an already interesting story more depth. I enjoyed this book immensely and it would make a great read for a book discussion group.