Absolutely the best book I have read in a very, very long time.

Set against the Civil Rights Movement in Jackson, Mississippi, The Help follows the relationship between Skeeter, a budding writer/social activist, and the black women who raise her friends’ children but aren’t trusted to polish silver or even use the same restrooms.  Skeeter begins collecting the stories of these women about their experiences being “the help” and the result is a shocking and brutally honest book that gives hope to the black community and a reality check to the country clubbers who scorn them.

It’s amazing the things we are willing to tell ourselves in order to preserve ideas that we are convinced are right.  This was one of those books that I was thinking about even when I wasn’t reading it and couldn’t wait to get home to finish.  Amazing character development and so full of heart and history.