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)

All audio books should be this good

This is one incidence where I think the audio book is probably better than the written one. The performances were better than anything I'd ever listened to. They really seemed to captured the flavor of the south. Once I found myself wondering what a mint julep tastes like, many times I tried hard NOT to wonder what that chocolate pie tasted like, (shiver) and I often imagined myself sitting in a rocking chair on a front porch, overlooking a large lawn and giant shade tree, while drinking a sweaty glass of Ice cold sweet tea and listening to a couple of southern women talk about their day, on a hot Mississippi afternoon. I've listened to a few really good audio books and this is one of the best, if not the best, I've ever experienced.

Excellent performances!!!

Fantastic book, fantastic narration. Makes you realize just how far we have come in such a short time for Barack Obama to be president today.

Beautiful story, beautifully read

Its just a fantastic book. Every character is so real. The performances are grand. Is this fifteen words, yet? Just get it.

one of my favorites!

Better than the movie and I loved the movie, narration was wonderful, story touching

because it's the truth!

The Help

Great Book. I will listen to this one again. Characters came to life. Narrators did an outstanding job of reading this.

One of my favorites

What did you love best about The Help?

This is an excellent story, with excellent characters. The narration was wonderful. I usually only listen to audio books in my car, but I really looked forward to listening to this.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I cannot pick a favorite character. I loved them all. Of course, Miss Skeeter's coming of age type tale was wonderful, but all of the maids were wonderful too. The author takes you on a journey of empowerment with each woman. You love each one of them as you come to understand their history, struggles, and the incredible amount of courage they each have and the sacrifices they each make. The movie leaves out so much of the character development which is so rich in this book. I especially loved the relationship between Minny and Miss Celia.

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

All of the narrators were exceptional. Their authenticity was captivating and added to my ability to connect emotionally to each of the characters.

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

I would love to go to dinner with Aibileen. She has such strength and kindness. I would hope her patience and wisdom would rub off on me. However, a night out with all the women would be wonderful, as the honesty of each character would make for truly entertaining dinner conversation.

Any additional comments?

Even if you saw the movie, read the book. I found them to be very different experiences. In the film I found Skeeter to be depicted as more of a rebel; whereas, the book describes a sweet, demure girl who wants to fit in, but sacrifices everything that means most to her for an opportunity to be an honest journalist with an important truth to tell. The movie is cute and fun, but I was sad to see the depths of the stories including Stuart, Miss Celia and Johnny cut short. As I followed the narrators through the book I found myself laughing, rooting for each of the characters, and even crying at times.

Excellent book read perfectly.

The voices were perfect for the characters in the story. it doesn't fit the movie exactly but I like the book, audio included, in a different way. Favorite moments are when the women g et ow into themselves and realize their strengths with each other's support.

great book!

i must say this is one of the best books i have listened to in a long time i only listen at work normally but this one i found myself hookin my ipod up in the car to keep listening!

very interesting

could not stop listening. voices were very soothing

Great story, great narration!

While the story was excellent, I can't imagine just reading this book and missing the wonderful acting job by the narrators. The southern accents and black speech patterns made the story really come alive.