The Help

The Help (2009) by Kathryn Stockett. Set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, "The Help" explores the lives of black domestic workers and their white housewife overlords. Stockett is a writer of profound skill as she switches voices between Aibileen and Minny, two of the black housekeepers, and Skeeter, the white woman who sees injustice and decides to write about it. Stockett's writing is pitch-perfect and she captures beautifully the place and time she's writing about. The character of Miss Hilly is a villain comparable to any in literature. This is, quite simply, among the best books I've read. There's a good reason it's been on the best-seller list for 90 weeks. Grade: A