Josie P. (braelynsmom) - reviewed on 5/21/2010

I really enjoyed this book, and the other members of our book club liked it as well. The reading was easy and flowed very well, keeping the attention of the reader. Some things discussed at the meeting; the bravery of the author (being a white women writing at times from the voice of black women), the writing structure (each chapter being assigned a different voice to represent a character in the story), which characters we all identified with, and the truths spoken out in this epic tale. I did not grow up during the time of the African-American Civil Rights Movement (19551968), but I certainly have seen in my lifetime racism and hatred towards people of different orientation and culture. I feel proud to have been raised in a family consisting of interracial marriages and gay/lesbian unions(the book did briefly touch on discrimination of homosexuals) . I am certainly not trying to unite the two, but rather compare to the ideologies that exist in society which are conducive to the segregation of our humanity. This is NOT to say that I never witnessed family members depict racism or hatred toward homosexuals in my company. This is to say that because I did and do share my family with all kinds of different people that I have an understanding towards different things and that I am comfortable with learning more things beyond my current understanding. The bottom line is that I'm not afraid. Isn't that the root of it all anyway? FEAR. The fear of understanding things we don't understand, fear of trying to understand things, and all because we don't understand them? It's a vicious cycle. In the book, many characters were driven by fear in their lives; what will people think? what will my friends think? what will society do to me? what will become of me if i think or live my life "outside of the box"? how can i keep my mouth shut and head low and yet maintain a sense of dignity? Some took hold of that fear and turned it, molded it, refined it into the very tool used to free the soul. Others, held onto that fear and let it drive them. When we let fear drive us , turning ourselves toward bitterness and hatred of fellow human beings it is a choice leading to the confinement of life, the repression and blind rapport with the segregation of self. Overall, I highly recommend this book. The Help, is a book that though is set in different times still holds truths that apply to today's world. We are different, but under the color of our skin, above our ideologies,despite our sexual orientation, and beyond our circumstances, we do all share a likeness in that we want to be accepted, loved, heard, believed in, and able to find happiness and freedom in all our lives.

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