The Help

By: Kathryn Stockett

Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer, Cassandra Campbell

Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid, Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her 17th white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another.

This edition now includes the afterword "Too Little, Too Late—Kathryn Stockett in Her Own Words", as read by the author.

Bonus Audio: Hear an exclusive interview with Kathryn Stockett.

©2009 Kathryn Stockett, Cover Art: (c) 2011 DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC (P)2009 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“The two principal maid characters...leap off the page in all their warm, three dimensional glory...[A] winning novel.” (The New York Times)

“This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird…If you read only one book...let this be it.” (NPR.org)

“A beautiful portrait of a fragmenting world.” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Wonderful book

What did you love best about The Help?

I loved there were different narrators for the characters

What did you like best about this story?

This book had a wonderful story to tell of the civil rights era. It really tells the story from all different perspectives. Wonderful story and easy to listen

Totally enjoyable

Excellent, one of my favorite "listens" totally engrossed in the story. I was sad when it ended.

Hated to listen to the last few words....

This is the best book I've downloaded and listened to so far and I've purchased several. This was so touching and so real. I can't wait until the author writes her next!

Absolutely Wonderful

This book is an engaging, entertaining and enlightening journey to a time and place many of of know nothing about but always thought we did. The characters are real, the plot moves right along and the narration is splendid.

Feel lucky to have heard this story

Sneaks up on you and takes you away. It was hard to move on to the next book.

A view from a fly

We have all said, "I wish I could be a fly on the wall and hear what is going on." I now know what a fly feels like, and it is a great feeling.The characters and story are layed out so well you don't want to stop listening. I will be looking forward to Kathryn Stockett's next book, and hope at some point we get an update on the characters in this book.

Engaging and moving

A wonderful story with absolutely perfect narration.

One of the best books I've listened to!

I loved this book and can't imagine reading it and having it impart the same emotional connection as the readers were able to evoke. I found their voices and, with very few exceptions, their accents spot-on. It flooded back to many memories from that time period. I'm recommending it to everyone.

Double your pleasure, double your fun

I loved this book, and was so sad as I approached the end that I immediately listened to the entire book again. The story is great and the story was enhanced by the narrators- even the second time around.

Amazing Story with UNBELIEVABLE Narration

Where does The Help rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among one of the best audiobooks I've listened to, especially thanks to the amazing performances by the narrators. Thanks to that, it is as 3-dimensional as watching the film--with the awesome perks of keeping Kathryn Stockett's story unadulterated.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters/character development is spot on. In the film, Skeeters character lacks depth, but in the book she gradually takes on her mature and understanding role.

Who was the most memorable character of The Help and why?

Minnie and Abeline are by far the most amazing characters. I don't know how Kathryn Stockett portrayed them so vividly--truly amazing. You will feel like you know them and that they're your best friends.

Any additional comments?

Very long book, great for long road-trips. You will be crying at various points in the story, and you will feel connection to this book no matter who you are.