The Help Discussion

I just went to The Help discussion and it went well! We discussed several different topics, such as the evilness of Hilly and Elizabeth, Skeeter's on-and-off relationship with Stuart, and the controversy that surrounded the book when it was published two years ago. I read the book over the summer and personally really liked it. I liked that it was told from three different perspectives (Skeeter's, Abilene's, and Minny's) because it allowed the author to tell more of a complete story. I also liked how the characters were developed and the tense conflict between Skeeter and the rest of the wealthy girls throughout the book. During the discussion we talked about whether or not people would have reacted to the book differently if the author had been black instead of white. I don't really think people would have for the most part, but maybe some people would have preferred a black author. It doesn't matter to me. I was surprised to learn that the author based the book loosely on her own upbringing by black maids, but that definitely explains how she wrote the book in such an authentic and descriptive way. I would recommend this book to anyone, even people who don't like to read, because once you start reading it, you don't want to put it down! Such a good read!