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)

GREAT

I loved it. characters were great. narration was great. Skeeter was a weak character but then she was just what she had to be for the important Help.

Delightful!

What did you love best about The Help?

The storyline was amazing! The way the story grabbed my constant attention was excellent.

Which scene was your favorite?

The growing connection between Aibileen and Skeeter was inspirational.

Couldn't wait to listen!

This book talks about a time as old as I am and does it in a very telling fashion. Great book that gets one thinking about our history.

So good I got lost....

What a delightful audio book! This is the way audio books should be read!
I was so captivated and absorbed by the story that I missed my turn off and didn't even know it for twenty minutes!
When characters are read by more than one person, you're able to develop a bond and an empathy for the characters because it gives so much more depth and diversity to them.
I hope that many more audio books start doing this format! I will eagerly await them!

Enjoyed this so much

I loved this book! The characters came alive, the topic is so important. The writing made it so interesting. I highly recommend "The Help."

Riveting and eye opening

I bought it to placate my sister who had read it. It is not my usual type of book. However, after just a few chapters, I found myself riveted. I listen in the car and at the gym. I have found myself idling in the driving or doing an extra mile because I am unable to stop. The emotions throughout this book are expertly drawn out, involving you in each character's life. Bemoaning the end of each chapter. I have 45 minutes left to go and, rather than being unable to put it down, I am now trying to draw it out. I don't want this captivating story to end. It is so well done.

The Help

Fascinating book; it was hard to put down. Written from a viewpoint not often heard, from that of black maids working in white homes. The book helps the reader gain increased understanding of black American life in the deep South during the early '60's. Extremely enlightening.

amazing story

i enjoyed the narration of the lives of the southern women. it gave me life

Gripping, yet human

This is a wonderful story set between three narrators. Although the political history is a major part of the novel, this is carefully crafted through human narratives and deeply personal stories. I was rapidly pulled in. A great listen - I highly recommend it!

Excellent story and narrators

This was one of the best audio productions I've come across. Its wonderful characters are brought to life by convincing readers - a real pleasure to listen to!