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)

Couldn't stop listening even when I parked!

Captivating! I listened on a long road trip and it kept me entertained even when I was no longer driving. I had been planning to read this book, but it was great to be able to multi-task. Plus, the voices match the characters and story perfectly. I highly recommend this audiobook.

What an amazing book.

I loved how each woman was read by a different reader; it helped keep up with the point of view. The different points of view helped make the story so exciting.

Love It!

I love this so much! The performance really brought this book to life! It's a must read/listen!

The Help is GREAT

I really enjoyed listening to this audible book. The story-telling was great, the narrators spot on. Actually helped make riding through Hurricane Irene and 24 hours without power almost painless. :)

What a Surprise

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

It took me a while to even consider reading this book--but I'm glad I did.

What did you like best about this story?

It was more than interesting--it was emotion evoking.

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

Abeline

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, not initially. However, after a while, I looked forward to hearing what would happen next.

Love this!

I am only about halfway done listening to this book and I am already sad because I know it is going to come to an end too soon. This was worth the credit and then some.

awsome story

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

top

What did you like best about this story?

it was well written and and read

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

character

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

Abileen, she has character

Any additional comments?

i would recommend the book to my friends

hilarious and tragic.

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

Yes. This book reminds the reader about the best and worst of humankind.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Amazing! I really came to know each character.

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

When Abeline tells Maymobley she is good and kind, and important.

Did not want this book to end

What a book, the charactors come alive as you continue to listen, the narration is brillant.
This book will make you think, laugh, cry and want to do good in the world.
My all time favorite book.

A must read!

I loved loved this book! I was so sad when it was over; it completely consumed me! Even if you have watched the movie; you have to read it! The book is way better than the movie!