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The Help

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Enter a vanished and unjust world: Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Where black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver...

There's Aibileen, raising her seventeenth white child and nursing the hurt caused by her own son's tragic death; Minny, whose cooking is nearly as sassy as her tongue; and white Miss Skeeter, home from College, who wants to know why her beloved maid has disappeared.

Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny. No one would believe they'd be friends; fewer still would tolerate it. But as each woman finds the courage to cross boundaries, they come to depend and rely upon one another. Each is in a search of a truth. And together they have an extraordinary story to tell...

© Kathryn Stockett 2009 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 African American Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction United States Women's Fiction World Literature Heartfelt Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

The other side of Gone with the Wind - and just as unputdownable
A big, warm girlfriend of a book
Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird has changed lives. It's direct descendent The Help has the same potential . . . an astonishing feat of accomplishment
Outstanding, immensely funny, very compelling, brilliant
Immensely readable
Daring, vitally important and very courageous, I loved and admired The Help. Fantastic (Marian Keyes)
A laugh-out-loud, vociferously angry must-read
Touching, disgraceful, funny. Highly recommended
Utterly brilliant
Remarkable, shocking, brave, brilliant
All stars
Most relevant
Thought this was a amazing story, watched the film have way through listening. Book is way better!!

Thoroughly enjoyed

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Heartwarming, funny, sad, I really enjoyed this book, the performances where excellent very relatable. I’m gonna watch the film now hope it doesn’t disappoint 😳

Love this book

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Wonderful! The performances were outstanding and the story was very moving, enlightening, funny in parts, heartbreaking in others and honestly everything you want from a book. Thank you.

Couldn’t put it down!

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This book combines the tragedy of the racism black people faced during the Civil Rights movement whilst simultaneously showing everyday life.

Perfectly describes the day-to-day during the Civil Rights

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I really don't know what to do with myself now it's finished. It was such a captivating read.

Absolutely fantastic

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