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)

A brilliant combination of novel and sociological term paper.

I purchased this book after watching the movie because I suspected it would be even better (as novels most often are) than what the screenwriters and editors could put into a two hour movie. I was beyond correct. This is a book I will listen to more than once because it is that much better than the movie. I particularly enjoyed the authors statement at the end, as it expresses the reasons she wanted to write the book so very well. If you have seen the movie or not, this book is a must read.

Loves

love this book it was read perfectly ... I am probly going to watch the movie tonight

Excellent listening!

The narrators in this story really brought this book alive. It wasn't just entertaining . . . it was thought provoking.

Amazing

This my all time favorite audible book. I suggest it to everyone when the subject of audio books comes up! I highly recommend this book. Lots of laughs, chills and even a few tears. Beautifully written and beautifully performed.

Outstanding!

The best audible book I've ever heard. I was initially reluctant (not sure if I would be interested) but am very pleased that I selected it. The narrators were amazing, the characters complex and believable. I was sad to see it end ... It also helped me understand the South in the 60's in a way that I didn't before.

Amazing piece of work!

Having come of age in the 60's I was both appalled and familiar with the way this book captures my generation's attitudes about African-Americans during the 50's and 60's. This book lovingly and accurately depicts the kind of relationships and attitudes my parents, friends and I had about African-Americans (both good and bad) as children and young adults at that time. And I grew up in NY! What is also shocking, is how little time has passed since those days. The author clearly has lived through the kind of intense relationship she has written about, and I loved her piece at the end about her actual experience. As corny as it sounds this book was truly uplifting. Couldn't stop thinking about it and telling friends about it. The voices of the actors were wonderful and were fully believable as the characters they were portraying. A must read--listen!

handled with loving truth

ms. stockett book recreates the 1960's segregation of Jackson Mississippi's hired black house help. incredibly poignant. Beautifully told without being overly sappy or stereotypical of either race. some whites are represented as far more hateful than others, for example.

Wonderful book. I grew up during this time.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, so much better than the movie.

What other book might you compare The Help to and why?

Have not read any any like this.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Minnie and Skeeter. Would have liked a man read the mens part.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. hated to bookmark and could not wait to hear more. Took two days to finish it. Second days I had two hours left on the second day.

Any additional comments?

Always like to read the book before seeing the movie. So much missing in the movie.

Incredible!

I don't have the words to express how this touched my heart... It was riveting. The narrators drew you into the heart of the characters perfectly. The story inspired every emotion...
I would buy ANYTHING written by Kathryn Stockett.
What a masterpiece!

so true to life

Having lived in the deep south for most of my life, I felt I was hearing about my childhood as a white girl in this book. I loved the lady that worked for my family and hearing this story made my ashamed to be a white person. It is beautifully written and tells a true and sad story about the families who had "the help"