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)

Buy this NOW. BEST AUDIOBOOK!

This is such a beautiful and IMPORTANT story. This is a superb book and the cast of readers are amazing. I have 2 favorite books, in my life. Now I have another. The Help is unforgettable. I miss Ms Milly and Ms Celie already!!
Go A.B.

Incredible Story! Outstanding Narrators!

I really loved this book...obviously...everyone loved it!? The narrators really made this book come alive. I've listened to hundreds of audiobooks, and this is by far the best match of story with narrators. I so wish the Audiobook publishers could learn a lesson from this - too many good books are ruined by bad narrators!

Well-Performed, Realistic

If there's an Academy Award for best actress in an audiobook, the women who bring The Help alive should win it. As an African-American woman whose college-educated mother supplemented her income by cooking and serving at dinner parties hosted by wealthy white people in our town, I expected to be more than a bit offended by a young white author attempting to write Southern black dialect. But I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Stockett's ability to capture the voices of black women. And she didn't shy away from shining a light on the unpleasant aspects of Southern racism and violence, and the concomitant pain and bravery of the black community.

A Must Read

Another reviewer mentioned that if you were from the south and over 50, you had to read this book. Everyone should read this book. From my lily-white reading chair, I struggled with why the characters acted as they did, why they would be afraid to talk to each other or write a book. And that is why this is a must-read. I am old enough to remember some of the historical events described, but being a "Yankee" I had no idea of the realities of those prejudices and the restrictions both sides lived with.

The narration was tops.

I can't wait for the movie!!

5 stars doesn't give it enough credit!

I echo the sentiment of the other glowing reviews. This is an exceptional novel magnificently performed by the narrators. Historical fiction - omg! - I was a young 'un back then (in the North) & had no idea of the extent of the discrimination, prejudice and the horrific cultural conditions that the black people endured. I, too, was sad when the novel ended - these women seemed like personal friends of mine - and I had to bid them farewell. However, they will live on in my heart & soul. 10 Stars!

Any Age, Any Gender

This book hardly needs one more positive review. I just wanted to reinforce the idea that this book is good for any age starting from young adult and good for either gender. Don't let the four women on the cover mislead you. I had to arm wrestle my two teenagers, one girl, one boy, into listening to this on a long road trip. Once it got started, they wanted to listen to this book the entire time. Seven hours there, seven hours back. How often does that happen?

LOVED THIS!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Help to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but was delighted in the audio version and consider it better than the movie.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Abeline was my favorite, but I liked most of the characters. They were well-developed and seemed to resemble people I have known.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is when Hilly's mother tells Hilly she bought the pie for her.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

A lady in the store reached out to the writer and said she would not accept Hilly's demand to fire her help as the help was the only person keeping her sane.

Any additional comments?

I was a small child in Mississippi in the 60's. We sometimes had help but our situation is completely unlike those in the book. As much as I delighted in the story I would hope that it is not perceived as completely historically accurate. There are other scenarios that were not mentioned.

Spectacular!

Not only was this story beautifully told and very compelling, the narrative was absolutely spot on. This is definitely a must read!

One of the best!

This book is a jewel! Well written, with well developed, interesting characters and a great story! So hard to believe that this is an accurate picture of the relationship between many white southerners and their help in my own lifetime. The narrators are as good as they get, making this one of the very best books I have ever bought. I was sorry to have it end, and I have bought it in hardback for my husband for Christmas. Thank you, thank you, thank you...for a wonderful listening experience!!

I could not put down this audiobook

Kudos to Ms. Stockett for writing a book with characters who you love and cheer on, others who you hate, and yet others who are complicated, and you try to figure out how you feel about them. I never lived in the South, but I have memories and observations from being a child during this time that hit home for me while reading this book. These attitudes were not so long ago, and sadly, may be more prevalent than I wish to believe even today.