THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett

Debut author Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help --- which I have written/raved/obsessed about over the past two months --- went on sale this week.

Set in 1963, it's the story of three women --- two African American maids in the Deep South and a young white woman who sees a story in the world that they live in. It's just brilliantly written. You hear the voices, see the houses and truly feel like a voyeur in their world. Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter are strong characters, and the stories they tell speaks volumes about the time. Stockett closes the book with a piece about her family's maid, which shows why she could write this book with such insight and honesty. And yes, reading it I could not help but think about how much has changed in our country in recent months. No matter what your political views, reading The Help and seeing the world 46 years ago when the right to vote was something that was fought over, and not taken for granted, is interesting.

Click here to listen to a podcast of Kathryn Stockett talk about The Help and how her experiences growing up in the South inspired her to write this story.