The Help- By Kathryn Stockett

Another great historical fiction i have read in a long time which is based on the story of African-American maids working in white households in 1960s in a racially conflicted city of Jackson, Mississippi. This book explores both the spectrum of the complex history of the black-white relationship, not only the hate, abuse and mistrust but also the love, attachment and dependence. 

The book revolves mainly around 3 characters: 2 black maids: Minny Jackson and Aibileen Clark and a white aspiring writer Eugenia Skeeter. Minny is a strong lady who always speaks her mind and stands up to the racial injustice as a result of which is already fired from 19 jobs. Aibileen, along-with being a maid is also the care-taker of a toddler, Mae Mobley. Eugenia Skeeter dreams of being a writer and is one day struck with the dangerous idea of writing a book on the real account of the experiences of the black maids working in white households.

This book makes you feel the pain of Aibileen who has lost her only son Treelore at a very young age. You feel her love towards Mae Mobley who in return loves her more than her own mother. 

The book captures in a beautiful yet gut-wrenching manner how these maids who have the power to mold and strengthen the roots of the children they tend to are so vulnerable and powerless as they can be reprimanded any moment by their owners for being blacks, who they don't consider human enough.

The book beautifully portrays the bond of pure friendship between Minny, Aibileen and Skeeter who despite the color differences of their skin are bonded together by humanity and empathy. The book makes you ponder on how its not the color but the heart beating underneath your skin which makes you humane. 

The book keeps you on the edge as Skeeter explores the real life experiences of the black maids. You grieve after reading many of them but also rejoice at a few. The author through this book gives us the story of 3 ordinary ladies having extra-ordinary spirits asking to be accepted for their honest simplicity. 

The story is strong, real and makes your eyes moist as you turn its pages. You feel broken at first but the ending leaves you with bittersweet emotions. I found the book to be a lot more than just a story. It changes something inside you and stays with you long after you finish reading. It makes you believe all the more in love, life, friendship and humanity beyond color, class and race. 

I would certainly give this book a 5 on 5 rating. 

Hope you liked reading.