Three little letters...W-O-W! That's what I have to say about this book. Wow! This is a powerful book. I've loved every moment, every word, every letter. This a powerful book with no true happy ending nor sad ending. It's the story of several woman in 1960's Jackson, Mississippi. Told mostly by the colored help but also by one lone white woman who feels the winds of change coming; or at least hopes they are coming.

The characters in this book are so strongly written that they stay with you when you aren't in the pages of the book. I found myself during the day when not able to read wondering if Mini was going to be alright or if Ms. Skeeter would ever find happiness or acceptance for being herself. I worried for each of the characters. Feared for them. Cried for them. Even laughed with them.


There are always books that stick with you but this one has been written so well that you can almost smell the cotton in the fields and the chemical hair dye at the salon. Katheyn Stockett has a wonderful understanding of how to make words bring people to life. I was transported from my reading spot to right smack dab in the middle of Jackson Mississippi in 1962. It's truly amazing. The dialog is written so that you can feel the vernacular just roll off you tongue. At times, I found myself struggling not to talk out load with a southern twang. The accents, the descriptions, the emotions, and overall power of the 1960s changing South are so well written you can't help but be there in the moment.

This is easily not only one of the best books I've read all year but of all times. For a first novel, Kathryn Stockett came out of the gate leading the pack. I look forward to watching for her talents to produce some amazing work in the future.