I loved this book. I was constantly being torn with desperately wanting to read it, and desperately NOT wanting to . . . because then I knew it would be over.
The story is told through three distinct voices: Aibileen and Minnie: black maids in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, and Miss Skeeter: a white young woman who is a fledgling writer- anxious to write something that will make a difference in the world and be published. Naïve to the full repercussions of writing about what it’s like to be a black maid to white people in Mississippi, Miss Skeeter secretly recruits Aibileen, who finally reluctantly agrees to help her. Eventually, other courageous women come forward to anonymously give a voice to the black community. It is a powerful story of courage and sacrifice.
Besides these three, there were other well-developed characters. The “Nyah ha ha ha” villain of the story, Miss Hilly, with Oprah-like power (now there’s irony!) in the white Jackson community, was Satan personified. Could someone really be so ignorant and evil? As we all know, the answer is "yes." Unfortunately, I don’t think she was overdone at all. Her puppet white friends only cared about their social status and what Hilly thought. Enter any high school in America, and you see this plot played out every day. Even Skeeter hoped to keep her friendships with Hilly and the southern white elite women, while keeping her clandestine meetings, and eventual friendships with the black maids strictly underground.
Set against the backdrop of what really WAS happening in Mississippi (the assassination of Medgar Evers) and the US (Rosa Parks, the assassination of JFK, etc.) this work of fiction is believable and real. At the same time I was reading this, I was reading a non-fiction book about Abraham Lincoln and the civil war. It was revealing to me that 100 years later this battle for civil rights and freedom was still being fought.
This book definitely makes my “all-time favorite book list.” I was disappointed at first that it was only available in hard back (the paperback version will come out in Jan, 2011), but now I am so glad I have it hardback as I’m sure I’ll want to reread it again and again. I would love to hear the audio version, too.
I think my only criticism of the book was the ending. It left me hanging a little. I’m hoping that means there will be a sequel. Miss Stockett????
4 comments:
Sounds like a great book, I think I want to read it now.
I just finished it as well, and I loved it too!
Another great book review! You are amazing!
Hmmmm . . . you may have convinced me to read it!
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