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)

Favorite book of all time

I never thought Harry Potter would go to second place but The Help is now my #1.
If you like historical fiction, you'll love this book. I cried, I laughed, I grew angry... it touches every emotion & really submerges you into another time. I love how she wrote the story from so many perspectives as well. You're not only getting one side of the story from a single character.
Buy it - You won't regret it!!

Deserves more than 5 stars!

I only listen to audiobooks while I'm on the treadmill or doing chores. This book was so good, I couldn't stop listening, which meant I couldn't stop working. Even though I was exhausted, I didn't want it to end. The narrators were the best and the story was wonderful.

The Help

Having grown up in the deep South in the 50's and 60's I felt like I was in a
time machine. The narration was perfect! The story is sad, funny, and
hopeful. I LOVED THIS STORY!

Best Audible EVER!!!

Would you listen to The Help again? Why?

I wasn't sure this would be for me since it is NonFiction, but this is without a doubt the best Audible ever. This is the only book that I have ever listened to that you feel, hear and see the characters by their voices, not just a narrator. Awesome book!!!!

One of the Best

I loved the story. Never boring. The author developed each character and the narrators were the best I've heard. In fact, next selection will be one narrated by either Jenna Lamia or Bahni Turpin. I only wish Kathryn Stockett had another audio book. I was sad when it ended.

Best Narrated Audiobook

The Help is by far the best audiobook I have listened to since starting my membership with Audible. Wonderfully narrated and hours of entertainment. I can't wait to see the movie!!

Great story, presented in a enjoyable format

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

one of my top reads.

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

Unique in itself. Comparison in style difficult. To compare in enjoyability i would say the Rabbit Proof Fence.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The narrators represented their roles in a credible manner. i was able to visualize the character

If you could take any character from The Help out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Skeeter, she is the catalyst of the book

Doubtless you should read that book!!

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

Very good!!! It is a fun book, good drama..and besides that make us look inside ourself, bcz sometimes we have some attitudes and don't perceive..

The Help

The book is beautifully read and brings the characters to life with each perfect unique voice The story is itself is amazing.

Oh my word!

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

I would recommend this book to everyone I know! This is going into my list of favorite books.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Help?

The terrible awful

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

All the narrators did so great

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

I have a hard time picking a favorite charter.

Any additional comments?

I saw bits and pieces of the movie and thought, what the hay, I will read the book. The book was so great! I just loved it. the movie is spectacular but the book is worlds better. read this book!