The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The publisher's blurb was too long and rambling so I will give you a brief synopsis.
Mississippi, 1962.
The title refers to the maids who work in the homes of the white families in Jackson. It is a time of oppression, segregation and injustice. Violence against blacks is increasing as the civil rights movement gains momentum. Skeeter is a young white woman who has finished college but failed the ultimate goal of snaring a husband while she was there. Aibileen and Minny are two black women who agree to share their experiences of "maiding for white folk" with Skeeter, an aspiring author. All three women are taking an incredible risk by doing this and place themselves and their families in peril. So we the readers are afforded an intimate view of the white familes they maid for and also gain an insight into the lives of the maids as well.
I couldn't help feeling that Skeeter "writing" this book was just a cheap narrative device because Stockett didn't dare to presume that she could write with an authentic voice if she had chosen one of the maids to be the narrator.

Rating - I give this 3/5
Not bad!
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Reviewed by Sarah@ Hamilton library