The Help

The Help is the phenomenal international bestseller (that inspired the Oscar-nominated film) by Kathryn Stockett, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time

"[A] nuanced variation on [a familiar] theme that strikes every note with authenticity. In a page-turner that brings new resonance to the moral issues involved, [Stockett] spins a story of social awakening as seen from both sides of the American racial divide."  -  The Washington Post

Enter a vanished and unjust world- Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Where black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver... 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 search of a truth. And together they have an extraordinary story to tell...

"The remarkable women at the centre of this novel, one white and two black, are emblematic of many women of the era… The women's lives become intertwined when Skeeter, who wants to write a book, persuades Jackson's maids to share their experiences — good and bad — working for white families. Tension mounts as the women, fearing for their lives, take personal risks so their stories can be included in Skeeter's book, called Help … Her pitch-perfect depiction of a country's gradual path toward integration will pull readers into a compelling story that doubles as a portrait of a country struggling with racial issues."  -  Carol Memmot, USA Today

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, and friends — view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humour, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.