So, I have been wanting to read this book for a while, but it took my friend Fran insisting to get me to do it. I am so glad because I loved every bit of it.
Skeeter just graduated from Ole Miss and returns to her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Though she had grown up there, she doesn't really seem to fit in. Unlike most girls her age in 1962, her goal in life is not to find a husband and settle down. She wants to write something, something deep and meaningful, not just the League's newsletter. This begins to cause a rift between her and her childhood friends, Hilly and Elizabeth that only worsens as Skeeter finally finds something she is passionate to write about: black maids and how they are treated in the South.
Skeeter is inspired to do this by two people, Elaine Stein and Constantine. Elaine Stein is an editor at Harper and Row, where Skeeter had applied for a job. She is shocked at the audacity of Skeeter applying for a job fresh from college when at least five years is required. But, she takes note of this ambition and pushes Skeeter to write about something that no one talks about. Constantine was Skeeters housemaid/nanny while growing up and they had grown very close through Skeeter's life. Then, all of a sudden, when Skeeter returns home Constantine is gone and no one will tell her a straight story of what happened. This two events, along with her friend Hilly's blatant disregard for common decency toward the maids, incite Skeeter to want to interview the maids of Jackson to find out what it is like working for the white women. This task will not be easy, especially in 1962 in the South. There are consequences for everyone involved, black and white.
What I loved about this book is the multiple perspectives that it is told in. It is told through the eyes of Aibileen, a black maid in Elizabeth's house; Skeeter, and Minny, another black maid with attitude. The multiple perspectives give real incite into the different attitudes of the time period as well as with the events of the novel. You get to see the good and bad sides of all the situations involved, and it really helps develop an emotional attachment to the entire story. All these characters are strong in their own way. The transitions between narrators is distinct, and you are never left wondering who's voice you are reading.
Between the different relationships formed, the funny quirky events, the tie in of actual historical events and the reality of what happened at that time, this novel is truly well written and entertaining. It is a book that has a solid content without being too heavy. I highly recommend it for a lazy weekend or perhaps a long travel. I enjoyed the author's writing style and look forward to reading some more her works.
