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)

The Help

great story, terrific narration, poignant and funny. best listen so far on audible. Highly recommend

The very very best!

This is by far the best book I have had the honor of listening to. I can't even put into words how much I loved this book and so I won't even try~ Just take my word for it ~ You really must hear The Help. You will never regret it.

Kathryn Stockett is on her way ~ What an amazing first novel! Thank you so very much for this book~

Outstanding! The old South as it really was.

Stockett has captured the old South that I remember all too well. The characters are unforgettable; the narrators are perfect for the parts. I did not want the book to end.

With deep understanding and humor, Stockett has captured the strange, awful, yet sometimes wonderful relationship between the races in the old South. The attitude that "those people" were just marvelous "in their place." The deep trauma suffered by those who could not escape it and those who strived to change it.

This novel captures the beginnings of the civil rights movement from a truly different perspective, one that was shared by millions but little understood or celebrated. From the author who wanted to tell their stories and the domestic workers she helped to chronicle (and you cannot separate Stockett from her alter ego), you draw a picture of what was real, what was terrible in that reality, and how the seeds of change were planted in ordinary people who became extraordinary. Complex characters, enough suspense to keep you reading (or listening), and a deeply satisfying experience. Thank you, Kathryn Stockett.

Wonderful Story

I could not predict what was going to happen next which always makes for a good story.

4th time to listen still love it!

The story, the readers, everything about this book is perfect for me. When I want to get myself out of a funk... I listen to this book.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING

When I first heard about this book a few months ago, I will admit I wasn't sure I'd like it. Well, once the tournament of audio books started, I decided to at least give it a try. I'll tell you this, the characters are so believable, and the narators bring this story to life. I laughed, cried, got mad, and every other emotion in between. I started this book Monday night and just now finished it, and I've not regretted one moment I spent reading.
This book taught me so much. I'm visually impaired, and so I know what it is like to be judged on something you can't help, or to have people think that I am so different from them. I lived with that for years. What I didn't realize, and this book pointed that out to me very clearly, is that I do the same thing. I may not be racist, but I judge people. This book might've been set in the early nineteen sixties, but to me, the message in its pages is still just as important now as it was back then. Thank you Kathryn Stockett for writing such an awesome novel, and thank you audible for sharing it with us.

My new favorite

The only dissapointment here is the fact that eventually the book ended. I loved it from cover to cover and will definately listen again and again. Narration was phenomenal as well.

my review is repeat of the rest -- EXTRAORDINARY.

I read The Help on my Kindle. A month later I listened to it also. This book is exquisite, with radiant characters who make you feel. I learned things about myself. I thought about what I could do to be happier. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is an exploration of humanity at its best and worst, and it is somehow always hopeful. Stunningly beautiful.

Wow wow wow!

I had resisted reading this book for the longest time. I tend to stay away from bestsellers because I have found that, many times, my tastes are not the same as the general public's. After seeing this on the 'Great first reads' list, however, I took the plunge. Well, not only did I take the plunge, I kept going deeper and deeper, finding reasons to drive around just so I could listen some more!

Yes, the story is fantastic. It is clear that the author has a closeness to this topic (she grew up in Jackson, during the '70s), and I suspect that much of Skeeter is actually her. It is a work of fiction, but is so well written that it is easy to imagine that it could actually be history.

The performances by the narrators were absolutely amazing! Each character's voice was unique, and each narrator tackled other characters in a way that gave individuality to them. In fact, each performer was so fantastic that I was eager to hear from them all.

By the way, if you're thinking that you don't need to read the book because you saw the movie? Well, let's just say there are enough differences that you will find this a new experience!

Awesome!!

I loved this book! I am a 45 years old and lived in the Mississippi Delta till I was 12 years old and we did have "help". This book stirred up lots of emotions for me.
The narrations was one of the best. I really hate it when narrators try to talk southern but this was done perfectly.
I am really going to miss Skeeter,Minnie and Ableline. I finished listening to the book today and feel lonesome and sad, like I just said goodbye to a good friend.