Montrealmom.com
  • Being Mom
    • Planning /Pregnant
    • Mom of Infant
    • Mom of Toddler
    • Mom of Schoolage Child
    • Mom Of Teen
    • Mom of Twins or More
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Work & Entrepreneurship
    • Family & Relationships
    • Childcare & Education
    • Money
    • Me.
  • Fun
    • Event Calendar
    • Crafts & Activities at Home
    • Organized Activities
    • Outings
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Disney Fun
  • Food
    • Recipes
      • All
      • Baby Food Recipes
      • Beef
      • Beverages
      • Breads
      • Desserts
      • Eggs & Dairy
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Poultry
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Vegetarian
    • Menu Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Entertaining
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Safety
    • Home & Garden
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Weight Watchers
    • Shopping
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • DIY
    • Living Green
    • Montreal
  • Travel
    • Family
    • Travel Tips
    • Disney
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Apps & Tech
    • Automotive
    • Products & Services
    • Toys
  • Directory
    • Activity Centers
    • Caterering / Pret À Manger
    • Classes
    • Home Services
    • Parties and Related Services
    • Photographers
    • Professional Services
    • Services
    • Services for Mom
  • Work with Us
  • About
    • About Us
    • In the Media
  • Contact

Montrealmom.com

  • Being Mom
    • Planning /Pregnant
    • Mom of Infant
    • Mom of Toddler
    • Mom of Schoolage Child
    • Mom Of Teen
    • Mom of Twins or More
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Work & Entrepreneurship
    • Family & Relationships
    • Childcare & Education
    • Money
    • Me.
  • Fun
    • Event Calendar
    • Crafts & Activities at Home
    • Organized Activities
    • Outings
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Disney Fun
  • Food
    • Recipes
      • All
      • Baby Food Recipes
      • Beef
      • Beverages
      • Breads
      • Desserts
      • Eggs & Dairy
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Poultry
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Vegetarian
    • Menu Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Entertaining
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Safety
    • Home & Garden
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Weight Watchers
    • Shopping
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • DIY
    • Living Green
    • Montreal
  • Travel
    • Family
    • Travel Tips
    • Disney
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Apps & Tech
    • Automotive
    • Products & Services
    • Toys
  • Directory
    • Activity Centers
    • Caterering / Pret À Manger
    • Classes
    • Home Services
    • Parties and Related Services
    • Photographers
    • Professional Services
    • Services
    • Services for Mom
  • Work with Us
  • About
    • About Us
    • In the Media
  • Contact
BooksReviews

The Help by Kathryn Stockett- a Review

written by Tanya Toledano

So I finished reading The Help well over a month ago, but haven’t yet had the opportunity to share my thoughts on the book you. I usually prefer to finish reading the book prior to seeing the movie, but I was unable to finish prior to going to BlogHer in San Diego where I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening and I actually posted my

If you read my review, you’ll know that I loved the movie.  This is in no small part because I love the story.  It is the story of Skeeter (Eugenia) Phelan who aspires to be a writer after graduating from Ole Miss.  Much to her mother’s disappointment, she is not on the marriage and baby track as are all of her peers.

Skeeter sees injustice in how “colored folk” are treated and notices how poorly the maids in the area are treated and . In an attempt to effect change she thinks of writing a story from the perspective of  “the help”.  Such a thing has never been done, and given the climate in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960’s, puts those involved in a very dangerous situation.  Skeeter hopes that somehow her book will be a catalyst for change.

In tandem with Skeeter’s story, we get the perspective of the help.  We watch as they raise white babies only to have those white babies grow up to treat them poorly.  We see the love that they have for these children and how once grown, the help has ‘outgrown its usefulness’.

I love the perpective from which the book is written.  Admittedly, I got slightly confused at first since each chapter was narrated by a different character, but I caught on quickly enough.

The characters in this book come through so beautifully that you really feel like you know each one.  You can almost predict what they will do next (except in the case of the horrible, terrible, awful thing…I couldn’t have seen that one coming, and I won’t spoil it for you, either).

Reading The Help makes us think about the ways in which society has changed, and some ways in which it has not.  It reminds us of how unfathomable things can be going on across the world, or across a country and even though people know about it, life goes on as usual for so many.   It makes us question how we can allow certain things to continue when we know they are happening. For many of us, this makes us uncomfortably aware of how the complacent bystander is somehow responsible for the repeated mistreatment of certain individuals or groups thereof.

Although there are parts of the story in the book that are somewhat different than they are in the movie, I still hold that the movie did an excellent job at portraying the characters as they were originally written.

For the same reasons that I recommended seeing the movie, I highly recommend reading the book.

Have you read The Help?  What are your thoughts?  Would you recommend it?

Wishing you a wonderful day with a few minutes to curl up with your latest read.

Tanya

The Help by Kathryn Stockett- a Review was last modified: March 4th, 2016 by Tanya Toledano
2 comments
1
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Tanya Toledano

previous post
Mega Bloks Sukkah
next post
Wordless Wednesday-Help Wanted

You may also like

Breaking my Home-Hair-Colour "Cherry"

September 4, 2015

Can a Blue Shirt Reduce your Stress Level this Holiday Season?

December 13, 2013

Romantic Getaway in a Ford Focus

August 1, 2014
Featured Video Play Icon

AeroGarden Indoor Garden Update at Days 3 & 10

May 23, 2012

Canadian-Made Skin Care for Baby & Beyond :)

March 17, 2016

Lay’s Canada Proposed New Chip Flavours – What Our Family Thought

September 7, 2015

18 Reasons to Choose the Dyson V8 Animal

October 1, 2016

Basement’s a Mess? Toydozer to the Rescue!

June 11, 2012

"The Hunger Games" Is it really a ‘G’?

March 30, 2012

Does Tide Purclean Remove Oil Stains?

January 27, 2017

2 comments

Ruth spivak October 11, 2011 at 3:49 pm

Great review, Tanya! I want to read the book and see the movie. I just finished reading “To kill a mockingbird” with my daughter. We have a little mother-tween book club, which I just blogged about on my site. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great read, another book that takes a deep look at race and society. The classic movie is pretty good too!

Reply
Tanya October 11, 2011 at 9:09 pm

Thanks Ruth 🙂 I love that you are doing the mother-tween book club! I’ve actually set the wheels in motion to begin a mother-daughter book club with some of my daughter’s grade 5 peers & their moms. I will be checking out that post of yours, thanks for letting me know. Perhaps we will add “To kill a mockingbird” to our book list as well. Please let me know if you end up reading &/or seeing the help & I will let you know about To Kill a Mockingbird or whatever we choose to read in the club. Have a great night!

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • GIVEAWAY: Enter for a Chance to WIN One of Ten Family Packs of Four Passes to See the Montreal Advance Screening of Disney’s Strange World!

  • NEW! Pre-K Program in the West Island at Inventor STEM School!

  • It Took Me Over Two Years To Let My Guard Down…and Less Than Two Days to Test Positive.

  • GIVEAWAY: ENTER for a Chance to WIN One of Five FAMILY PACKS OF FOUR PASSES to See the Montreal Advance Screening of Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ !

  • Dollard Couple Hosting Four Ukrainian Refugee Families – Here’s How You Can Help

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • Must share that I LOVE @TommyBahama -and that it’s available online in #Canada 💗 Not only are the dresses the BEST…… https://t.co/mHrgGKHFIc

    12-Dec-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • #GIVEAWAYALERT ENTER for a chance to WIN one of 10 FAMILY PACKS OF FOUR PASSES to see the Montreal Advance Screenin… https://t.co/FRs4UGrUqU

    08-Nov-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Still looking for a Pre-K program with an enriching and educational experience in a half-day format? You'll be thri… https://t.co/xyrdoJ4SGd

    15-Aug-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • #GIVEAWAYAlert Who would like to see the Montreal Advance Screening of Disney and Pixar's 'Lightyear'?!? ENTER… https://t.co/riTuuYJQgM

    07-Jun-2022

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • A Cremation Urn for #MothersDay? Yup. That happened. https://t.co/2XMMPCN3cJ #TrueStory

    10-May-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
team-teluspg-mom-badge

Archives

Categories

LATEST FROM INSTAGRAM

Follow on Instagram

AS SEEN ON TV

Subscribe to montrealmomTV on YouTube to be the first to see Tanya's latest videos.
  • Our Family’s Experience with the Ford Expedition

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
  • Periscope
Footer Logo

© 2016 montrealmom.com. All rights reserved  |  Powered by Red Dream Studios


Back To Top
We use cookies on our website to give you the best experience on our website. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT