by Kathryn Stockett, 2009
Another fantastic modern novel! A real page-turner, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s. Three heroes: 1. Miss Skeeter, the young white girl who just graduated from college and wants to be a writer. 2. Aibileen, the black maid who takes care of Mae Mobley, little 2 yr old white girl, and cooks and cleans for Miss Leefolt. 3. Minny, the black maid who has a sassy mouth and many children of her own and an alcoholic, abusive husband.
The demon in this book is Hilly Holbrook who epitomizes the evils of racism. She is the League president and one of Miss Skeeter’s best friends, along with Miss Leefolt (Elizabeth).
Skeeter misses her old maid, Constantine, terribly. She loved her like she was her mother. But she’s mysteriously gone when Skeeter returns from college and Skeeter’s mother only tells her she quit. She gets a job for the Jackson newspaper writing Miss Myrna-household hints. She knows nothing about keeping house so she uses Aibileen for her tips. She keeps asking Aibileen what happened to Constantine but Aibileen won’t tell her. Through it all, Hilly tries to get Skeeter to add a column for separate restrooms in homes to be built for the maids because everyone knows colored people carry all sorts of diseases. Skeeter refuses.
Eventually, she is prompted to write about what she really cares about by a Helen Stein-publisher for Harper and Rowe. Skeeter talks Aibileen into telling her story of what it’s like to be a black maid for white people. Aibileen then convinces Minny to tell her story. Minny works for Celia Foote, a white woman who is from the poor white country folk who meets and marries Johnny Foote – who used to date Hilly. Hilly never got over him.
Celia wants to belong to the League but they never allow her to be a member. She loves Minny and Minny gradually comes to trust her. Minny saves her life when she has a 4th miscarriage. Johnny loves Celia and loves Minny too. Celia can’t cook or clean – she can only garden. It’s a wonderful part of the book.
Eventually, 12 more maids agree to tell their stories. What spurred this was Hilly getting her maid, Yule May, locked up for 4 years in the penitentiary for stealing (a cheap ring that Hilly didn’t like – Yule had asked for a loan for $70 to pay tuition for her twin sons. Hilly refused.)
Much of the book is the suspense of meeting clandestinely with the maids getting the manuscript together and the worry of what would happen if the white people in Jackson realize the book is about them. The book does come out – and everyone in Jackson is reading it, wondering if it’s about them. And Minny’s ending – about the Terrible Awful thing which Minny decided to put in at the end, saves them from Hilly’s wrath. The Terrible Awful was a chocolate custard pie Minny baked for Hilly after Hilly spread lies all over town about Minny so no one would hire her. Minny was Hilly’s mother’s maid. When Hilly put her in a nursing home, then she had to find a new job to feed her 5 kids and drunk abusive husband. Then Hilly tried to get Minny to work for her (which would have put Minny’s friend, Yule May, out of a job) but Minny refused. Hilly had told all the white women in town that Minny was a thief and no one would hire her. That’s when Minny makes the custard pie and brings it over to Miss Walters where Hilly is waiting for the people from the home to come pick her up. Hilly eats two slices and asks Minny what she put in there that makes it so good. Minny put her own shit in the pie! That’s the Terrible Awful. And that’s the end of the book – called Help. Minny knew that when Hilly reads that part of the book, she will tell everyone in town that the book is not about Jackson.
Saves them. Not until after some tense moments before Hilly gets to the end of the book.
The book ends with Skeeter getting a job with Harper and Row – hating to leave the maids – worried sick about them. Aibileen tells her to go – so does MInny.
Aibileen is let go by Miss Leefolt at the urging of Hilly – not before Hilly accuses her of stealing – but backs down when Aibileen confronts her with all that she knows about Hilly and all the writing she could do in prison. But Aibileen gets to be the new Miss Myrna – Skeeter told her boss that Aibileen is the real Miss Myrna and he agrees to hire her. Poor Mae Mobley cries and cries. So does Aibileen.
And Minny’s husband Leroy gets fired (he works at a plant owned by Holbrook). Leroy tries to kill Minny – she escapes with the 5 kids and calls Aibileen. Aibileen calms her down – Minny will leave Leroy for good. She has a good job for life with Celia and Johnny Foote. She will finally be free from the abuse working for good people who appreciate her.
Fantastic book!