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I downloaded and am reading, thru Kindle on my iPhone, a book titled The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.
I hope I'm wording this ok so's not to offend anyone:
I am really enjoying it. It takes place in the late 50s early 60s in the deep south, and revolves around the womenfolk; rich white ladies/families and their black maids.
As a person that grew up in the north, I suppose I never really took to heart the racial conflict in the south. It was just something we read about or saw on TV.
Anyway, I'd thought I'd mention the book so you can decide if it's something that might interest you, too.

Kathryn's interview with Katie Couric http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6259944n

Excerpt about the author from the web:
Jan Harayda has sent us another dispatch from Fairhope, Alabama, where she's a writer-in-residence at the town's Center for the Writing Arts, as debut novelist Kathryn Stockett dropped by Page & Palette Books to read from The Help (already a NY Times bestseller). As Harayda reports, Stockett sounded a bit awestruck by her visit:

"They're planting flowers outside, and it's the middle of a recession," Stockett told a standing-room-only crowd, after noticing that a town grounds crew had been digging up the daffodils that lined the streets and replacing them with tulips. But it was the crowd's turn to be awed when Stockett spoke about the publishing history of her first novel, the story of a white Ole Miss graduate who returns to her Mississippi hometown in the early 1960s and finds herself startled by how her friends treat their black maids. Stockett was born and raised in Jackson and said that while her portrayal of race relations in her state may upset some, her closest relatives were "truly relieved" when agent Susan Ramer signed the novel and sold it to Amy Einhorn Books. "I got 45 rejections from agents," she revealed, "which means that my mother had to listen to me moan and feel sorry for myself 45 times."

I'm reading this book now. It's an interesting read.

I recently listened to this book also on my iPhone and thought it was a wonderful, made even better by the reader. I think Lenora expressed the way I also felt back then about the racial conflict back then.
I had a long conversation last night with a lady from another country about how life was when I was little. I lived in a very segregated town and we were taught prejudices but we didn't even know that was what it was. We sang in church about how Jesus loves the little children of all colors yet we heard conflicting conversations and our schools were segregated. I remember the answer I received when I asked about the school segregation and the answers now seem so untrue, but I think they really believed their perceptions were true.

I've always been an avid reader; however, had not heard of this until a pool friend mentioned it to me....thinking since I'm from the South, I can identify with it. We certainly did not have "help"! It does sound interesting, and it's now on reserve at the library. Seems to be sought out by everyone because our library system has about 20+ copies yet there are still a couple of hundred above me on the reserve list!

Lotus

It's amazing that this is the author's first book and it's a best seller. I feel she had to put allot of work into getting sources, altho she lived some of it. I've not much knowledge of what living in the south was like then, but assume she got it right or close.

Finally read this and loved it. I really wish it had been written in the timeframe it says in the book. Those of you who read it will understand what I mean by that. It really brings to light how our differences and similarities can be miles apart while so close.

We're passing the book around here - it's one I may someday purchase to keep (now that I can keep them in ebook form on my computer, etc). I already am looking forward to rereading it. Not a lot of books I say that about anymore.

They have made a movie of the book that is coming out shortly. Have seen commercials for it on TV. I doubt that it will be as good as the book.

I have seen the movie trailer and I'm thinking you are right. Not as good as the book.

AlmostThere wrote:I have seen the movie trailer and I'm thinking you are right. Not as good as the book.

Unfortunately, I think that's true of most movies. But I think this book could be made into a good movie, and hope it is. We shall soon know.

I really enjoyed this book too. So different from my life in rural northern CA. Looking forward to the movie though, good people were chosen for the parts.

Found this after I posted in General Talk about the movie. Can move my post if you need to. Again , the movie was really good.

Readytogo wrote:Found this after I posted in General Talk about the movie. Can move my post if you need to. Again , the movie was really good.

I saw the movie this afternoon and was blown away by it. It was absolutely awesome. It's been over a year since I've read the book, but the movie really appeared to do it justice. I found myself going through a gamut of emotions, ranging from chuckling along with the "help" to being furious with the white women to being outraged at the treatment of African Americans in the deep south during that time in our history. Makes me really grateful to not have lived in that part of the country then. And it made me very aware of the kind of sheltered life I lead in the 60s.

It's well worth seeing, even if you haven't read the book.

Laura

I'm late to the party but downloaded this to my IPad, which is a great E-Reader, and am really enjoying the read.

It's a movie I actually purchased and well worth the watch, also. I do prefer the book - but then I almost always do. This movie was good and would be all by itself, also.

Beth, I'm glad you commented on the movie. I actually read this book aloud to Mary, it was a gift from our daughter. I laughed so hard at some places I couldn't read! We're hosting the May RVW rally and I thought we'd do a popcorn / movie Sunday afternoon so I bought this movie and I don't want to preview it. I'd rather wait and watch with the group. So thanks for the comment, I think we'll enjoy it.