Book Review: The Help

A few months ago I was visiting my grandparents and my Grandmom handed me a few books that she got from the used book swap at the retirement community where they live.. She always gets really current books in really good shape because I guess once you’re retired you buy it, you read it, you’re done with it. That particular day she handed me Water for Elephants and The Help because she knew both were being made into movies. I had already seen Water for Elephants (even thought I hate hate hate seeing the movie before reading the book) but loved it!! But I promised myself I would read The Help before it came out this summer… well I started it and didn’t immediately get hooked. It seemed like it was just going to be a collection of stories from both points of view and I didn’t see much of a plot. Once I saw the trailer for the movie and realized there really was a plot, I knew I had to keep reading. Plus a good friend of mine said she was totally hooked and I had to push through and get into it. So I put it on my Summer Bucket List. And this past week I finished it. And I happened to be at work. And I sat there at the desk with tears running down my face because I couldn’t believe it was over. It was that good.

And so today, in honor of the movie coming out, I’m throwing a book club… actually it can only be a book club if people leave comments and their opinions (so do that!!). Otherwise it’s a book review… which is a little less exciting but still quite fun.

 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. The author flips back and forth between many different women in the story. Some are the African American maids and some are the wealthy white women for whom they work. The white ladies go to their league meetings, play cards with their friends, swim and play tennis at the club, smoke cigarettes, and that's about it. The African American women, aka the help, cook, clean, raise the children, etc. etc. etc. Basically they do everything for the white families and get treated horribly. And at the end of the day they go home to their houses on the other side of town and have their own mouths to feed, their own homes and children to take care of, and their own problems to deal with.

While this story is taking place, Rosa Parks has refused to give up her seat, people have organized “sit-ins” at local white establishments, and Martin Luther King Jr. is becoming a household name. But “separate but equal” and the Jim Crow Laws were what everyone went by, and the white community had every intention of keeping it that way.

There is one white woman named Miss Skeeter, who is single and still lives at home, that wants to become a writer. She is encouraged by an executive in NYC to write about something that matters. And that is when she turns to one maid named Aibileen. She decides to write an anonymous book from the view of the help. But as you can imagine, the African American women want nothing to do with it. When their neighbor gets shot in his front yard in front of his children, when their friend’s son gets beaten so badly he ends up blind, and when they know that they can be fired on a dime and won’t be able to find another job in town because of the way the white women talk, they do not want to get involved at all. Yet it is the terrible treatment of their friends and families that encourages them to start opening up to Skeeter. But it comes with a very high price and a ton of risk. And the story really takes off from there…

Not only does the book writing cause Skeeter to view her friends differently and cause the maids to view white women differently, but it causes the reader to compare their situation to current day life. Just as the women courageously write this book to bring awareness to the atrocities made against one race, Kathryn Stockett courageously wrote this book to bring awareness back to America in 2011.

Sure, we have Black History Month. And we can all sit on the same bus, use the same bathroom, and eat at the same restaurants. We even have a black president. But in some places in America, African Americans are still treated as though they are inferior. And since horrible acts have been made against black people in America, especially around the Civil Rights Movement, we don’t like to talk about it. Sure we learn about the Civil Rights Movement in Social Studies Class. We learn all about Rosa Parks and the Little Rock Nine. We watch footage of the fire hoses and the dogs being set loose on peaceful marches for about 2 seconds. And that’s it. We don’t like to talk about it because it makes us uncomfortable. We don’t want to think about it for too long because we don’t want to have to even wonder if we still live with a separate but equal mentality. We don’t want to get too close to the issue because that would mean we might realize we view ourselves as superior. And then we might have to change how we think. And how we live.

I understand that where we are today is significantly better then where we have been before. And I grew up in a very very diverse high school and a diverse town. So when I learned about this in school I never really thought twice about how this issue was still prevalent in America today, because it wasn’t prevalent in my world at the ripe age of 15. And in many places, I’m sure it isn’t a problem. But I think it still exits. And I think it exists more than people want to admit.

I think this book is wonderful because the purpose that the ladies’ book Help serves in Mississippi in the 1960s serves the same purpose as Stockett’s book The Help in America in 2011. And in addition to being a book that makes you step back and think and encourages you to treat everyone with respect, it is a wonderful story. The characters are so real you feel like you know them. The way that Stockett writes causes you to hear the women speak exactly as they would with Mississippi accents. And the stories that they women share and the events that unfold during the story make you laugh, cringe, anticipate, and cry. They also help you to realize that women in 1960 are no different from women today. Children in 1960 are no different from children today.

I strongly encourage you to read it. Even if you’re 7th on the waitlist for it at the local library, or you see the movie before you get your hands on a copy. It’s a must read. You will thoroughly enjoy Minny’s spunk, have compassion towards her home life, and appreciate her care of Miss Celia. You will feel sorrow towards Aibileen’s loss, swell with pride at her bravery, and connect with the love she feels towards Mae Mobley. You will want to slap Hilly into the next century. You will want to look into Skeeter’s eyes and tell her she’s doing the right thing no matter what the cost.
You will get hooked and you will not be disappointed.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

Few days later, the mayor comes on the radio again. “Jackson, Mississippi, is the closest place to heave there is,” he say. “And it’s going to be like this for the rest of our lives.”
-Aibileen

Bu truth is, I don’t care that much about voting. I don’t care about eating at a counter with white people. What I care about is, if in ten years, a white lady will call my girls dirty and accuse them of stealing the silver.
-Minny

These things I know already, yet hearing them from colored mouths, it is as if I am hearing them for the first time.
-Skeeter

…and listen to the song. It is better than anything I’ve ever heard.
…you’ll sink like a stone
For the times the are a-changin’
…I feel a rush of inexplicable relief. I feel like I’ve just heard something from the future.
-Skeeter

Maybe I ain’t too old to start over, I think and I laugh and cry at the same time at this. Cause just last night I thought I was finished with everything new.
-Aibileen

also here a link to the book
and here is a link to the movie trailer

 

Have you read The Help? Did you like it?
Did it cause you to think about the issue as it relates to today?
Let me know!!

By George

If this doesn’t make you hungry, I don’t know what will…

The first sandwich was the Roma which has provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, sopressata, prosciutto, onion, lettuce, roasted red peppers, tomato, and balsamic vinaigrette. And the second sandwich was the Chicken Caesar which had grilled chicken, lettuce, onions, roasted red peppers, tomato, and Caesar dressing.

And let me tell you – they were so so SO good. Mmm mmm Mmm.

Mark and I went downtown last week and got lunch at Reading Terminal Market, which is in Center City Philadelphia. There are a ton of vendors there selling items ranging from produce, to seafood, to Amish beef jerky and goods from Lancaster, to Italian food – like the lunch we got from By George. We get our food there every single time and they always deliver… if you’re ever in Philadelphia you absolutely HAVE TO GO to Reading Terminal. You won’t be disappointed.

 

We sat right by this cute little new/used book store that we had never seen before, it must be new… and I just thought it was so adorable. In a somewhat (mostly) dirty market full of smelly fish, dirty trash, busy people, and delicious treats, there sat this quaint bookstore. The owner is there in the bottom left of the photo. She sat to the side of the stand reading the entire time we were there… she must learn so much… between her books and meeting the people that come to her shop… I’m jealous of her :) I wish I owned a bookstore!!
She seemed like the most interesting woman…

That’s one of the things I love about the city the most… everywhere you look there are people of different ages, races, backgrounds, ethnicities, etc. And everyone has their own story. Their own upbringing. Their own desires, plans, hopes, dreams. Their own perspective. Their own reason for being in the exact same place you are.

From the time I was born until I was five, my family lived on a Christian camp in a very rural area. I ate dinner in the dining room, swam in the lake, and played on the jungle gym without a care in the world. There was never any fear of getting lost, being taken from my parents, or coming into contact with anything scary at all. I was very sheltered in a quiet place, and as a result, had this amazing childhood. When I was five we moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia, where we still live today. Growing up in one of the largest school districts around, I came into contact with so many ideas, peoples, languages, music genres, clothing styles, and the list goes on and on. I never felt out of place in my 3,000+ high school. I just embraced the eccentricities and unique differences that each person brought to the table. I think living in a very enclosed environment as a young child fostered my ability and desire to explore, trust, and experience the world around me. As I got older, those three things only continued to grow. I love going downtown because its busy and there’s always something to look at, always something to observe, always things to be inspired by, always things to learn…

It’s true the city never sleeps, so that is why I like going downtown and not living there, but if you get the chance to go to a big city – or even live close but never bother to visit – I challenge you to go for it. What do you have to lose? Surround yourself in the all city has to offer… You might be surprised what you stumble upon and you might even learn a little more about yourself :)

Bandwagon Wednesday: Karen Kingsbury

I have always loved to read. Most of all, I love to read stories. When I was in elementary school I loved to read mysteries and I read the Little House books… In middle school I read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, books by Meg Cabot, and eventually was introduced to the world of Christian Fiction. In high school I was recommended a book by Karen Kingsbury and since that day I have not ever refused a book of hers. I bawl, I laugh, I can’t put them down – they’re that good.

My favorite books by her are about the Baxter Family – The Redemption Series, The First Born Series, and The Sunrise Series. They are phenomenal. And there are so many books. Its like a month long or (depending on your reading speed/free time) summer long movie. I highly recommend them.

For Christmas I got Take Two from her Above the Line Series – my mom didn’t realize it was the second book... I also got a Border’s gift certificate and was able to buy Take One in the Philly Airport before we left for Disney this past January. When I got home I bought Take Three…. and then the semester started and my reading time became non-existent. On Monday when Mark and I were in Barnes & Nobles I stopped by the Christian Fiction section, but they didn’t have many of Karen’s books. I was surprised because they usually have at least one of everything. Then as we were walking out they had a whole table of Christian Fiction 50% off – and there sat Take Four. I was so happy that I found it and SO happy it was on sale!!!

Bailey Flanigan was a minor character in the Baxter Family books, was a more prominent character in the Above the Line Series, and now has her own series!!! I have always loved Bailey and will be reading her series next. I can’t wait!!

Karen Kingsbury is a phenomenal author and if you’re in need of new reading material you should definitely try her out. I would recommend Between Sundays, Shades of Blue, and Ocean’s Apart- they’re the stand alones that I’ve read. Between Sundays was the first book I ever read by her and like I said before, I was hooked. The other two (Shades and Oceans) seemed a bit harder to get into… But that may have just been because I read them after the Redemption, First Born, and Sunrise series and was in Baxter withdrawal… There are so many more that I haven’t read… but I have my whole life so I’m in no rush :)

As I mentioned in Monday’s post when referring to the Bachelor – I love happy endings. And the Christian fiction novels that I began reading were all about people meeting, falling in love, trial, blessing, and God’s ordination and control in their lives. They were happy ending books.  The individuals may get married and end up happy, but also have profound life changing experiences that deepen their faith. These books were romantic but also challenging and I loved the stories.  God calls us to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer” Romans 12:12. I think that Karen Kingsbury really explores the way that Christians can and do live this out as they face trials in their own lives.

You can find out more about Karen Kingsbury HERE. She is also on Facebook and Twitter.

E-mail me if you have read or do read any of her stuff! I’d love to hear what you think!

Bandwagon Wednesday

I have to admit, I am a total bandwagon girl... And, I don't usually fall off the bandwagon unless I have a pretty good reason. And I also don't easily jump on the bandwagon unless someone convinces me and proves to me that it's bandwagon-worth it... Sometimes I realize I was stubborn and I should have loved something sooner, other times I am disappointed because I know I can't be a fan of something I once loved before...


My older sister has always introduced new music into our home and I have, usually, hated all of it. We have very different tastes in music and I am pretty brutal on the stuff she decides is cool.  A few times I have foolishly been 100% wrong. Example: John Mayer. He may not be the most stellar individual but that man is a literary genius. His lyrics are brilliant and his music is so original. Right now my favorite song is off of Heavier Things - New Deep. I could listen to this over and over and over. And a more recent hit that I love: Half of My Heart. I love them, love them, love them. I am absolutely on the John Mayer bandwagon.

As far as a bandwagon I think I am jumping off of: Lady Gaga. Now let me just say - obviously she is different. Obviously she has a much different idea of dress code and public indecency than the rest of the world. Obviously she sings about some not-so-wholesome topics. In her defense - she writes everything. Everything, like John Mayer, is original. She is also an incredible lyricist and she became a worldwide phenomenon over night.

I went to see her in concert with my best friend three days after my birthday this past September, in the Pepsi box suite at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly - FOR FREE - Let's just say it's on the Top Nights of My Life list. The voice you hear on her track over the radio is the exact same thing you will hear at her concert. She is an incredible musician. She sang every single song on The Fame Monster and her voice did not waver once for two straight hours. I was in awe of her. Her music, her voice, her individuality, the fact she likes to keep her private life private, the fact that she stands up for what she believes in (even if I don't necessarily agree with the cause), etc.  It was incredible. Her Grammy performance with Sir Elton John featured my favorite song off of that album: Speechless. And I'm also an Elton John fan - so it was pretty epic. Yes, I will unabashedly admit - I was gaga for Gaga.

Until quite recently. Her most recent single starts off with a feel good message and has some truth to it, but I just can't sing along without realizing how off she truly is. It's true that God makes no mistakes, but He also calls us not to sin. We aren't supposed to run around being proud of it, living a sinful lifestyle... And so the tuesday that Born This Way dropped, a piece of me was slightly disappointed. I had much higher hopes for the rest of the album and figured I would wait for the next single. When her video was released this past monday I had to have a major sit-down talk with myself. Her eccentricities went from laughable and manageably strange to downright freaky, weird, and twisted. While many of her fans have their paws up and are drooling over their new anthem, I am not one of them. I am sad that I need to get off of the Gaga bandwagon. I hope something later allows me to once again be a fan. Here's a few pictures from the concert...cause it was that good.

Right before we left school - we were pretty excited

 

Someone threw her a phillies hat and she wore it for the middle third of the concert - the place went crazy when she put it on...

Now onto my other love: books.
I read twilight and new moon in two days. I went to the mid-night release of Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and the DVD release of Twilight. While many people try and prove how lame the books are because of the terrible acting in the movies, they are SO not lame. The story, the characters, the insight that Stephenie Meyer has woven into this saga is brilliant. I am still to this day, hook-line-and-sinker over-the-moon in love with twilight. I can pick up those books and be content any day.

The twilight scorners also seemed to pin the love story against the Harry Potter legacy. As if they could be compared!! I laughed this off because I knew, from friends who listened to HP on itunes every night before bed, that they were nothing alike!

I wasn't allowed to read the books as a child because I was very sensitive and my parents thought the action, violence, snakes, voldemort, etc. might bring back the "night terrors" as they called them. But, this past October I went to my friend Rachel's house for the second annual Halloween Weekend in Lancaster. We watched the first four movies that weekend, watched five and six in November back at school, and I saw the first part of Seven in the theaters with the aforementioned friends from high school. I AM AMAZED by J.K.Rowling. The plot, the details, the characters, the amazing wizard tents/transportation/everything, the good/evil battle. AH! I love it! I know that since I haven't been on the bandwagon since day one - I am unauthorized to see 7.2 that first week in theaters (I'd rather let the die-hard fans see a few times before I get there). But I am on the Harry Potter Bandwagon forrrreal. I mean seriously - I could listen to Ron say Bloody Hell over and over and over. It just keeps on getting better. And Emma Watson - BE-U-TI-FUL!

sooo yeah. I think that sums it up. It was probably agonizingly long to read - but I love bandwagons... I mean I could probably talk about Glee for an hour... but I'll spare you :) but next week you might not be as lucky...