Thanks to Barb for hosting the June Book Club. What a great evening. Several of us had taken a road trip to Chicago and two of us had taken a European Tour so there was a lot to catch up on while we dined on Barb's Mojito's and Rotisserie chicken, Pam's spicy beans and rice and her lemon & thyme cornbread, Darby's black-eyed peas, Lis' strawberry salad, and Carla A's fruit tray. Denise brought us wine and chocolate from Napa Valley, Lou made peach pie and Diana brought chocolate pie and that well went exceptionally well with coffee after dinner.
This month's book was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Loosely based on the author's life growing up in Jackson, Mississippi at the height of the Civil Rights movement. The story is told through the eyes of Skeeter Phelan, recent college graduate and at least a 2nd generation Jackson Jr. League member and two of the black maids working for other wealthy white families. In Skeeter's attempts to become a journalist she comes up with the idea to interview the maids of her friends to find out what it is like for a black woman to be working for these white women. In the beginning Skeeter is aware that there is some danger in these women speaking out about their lives so she decides to write the stories anonymously and change the name of the town and all the people. However, she is somewhat naive about the gravity of the consequences. The woman could face much more than the loss of their jobs. The story is told in the first person but the chapters switch back and forth between Skeeter and two of the maids, Aibilene and Minnie.
The story starts out gently and builds gradually. You see these women in their work environment and what it is like for them to work for wealthy families and raise their children and what it is like for them to go home to their own families. Though Skeeter is a product of her environment and social conditioning she sees things differently and hopes that her stories will affect some change. And it does but not in exactly the way she had envisioned. The writing to me was deceptive as the story seems simple on the surface but subtle undercurrents of power and control, the obvious inequalities of the races, and overt violence against people of color at the time add tension and suspense. It is really a deeper look at what it was to be a black woman living in the south during the 1960's a full 100 years after the Civil War. To me the book is a testament to the sheer strength of will that these women had to muster up every day. Not only did many of them endure the condescension and contempt of their employers who were paying them a pittance to run their households and raise their children, but they also endured the continued oppression of their race, and often domestic abuse in their own homes. It's true that some fared better than others, some enjoyed the respect of their owners and the love of the children they raised. But every day was a test of their courage, their faith and their persistence as they managed to survive the times. For me, it's also a story about the choices we make to be involved in loving and supportive relationships versus harmful and destructive ones. The book rated eight 5's, one 4.75 and two "I loved it's!"
This month's book was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Loosely based on the author's life growing up in Jackson, Mississippi at the height of the Civil Rights movement. The story is told through the eyes of Skeeter Phelan, recent college graduate and at least a 2nd generation Jackson Jr. League member and two of the black maids working for other wealthy white families. In Skeeter's attempts to become a journalist she comes up with the idea to interview the maids of her friends to find out what it is like for a black woman to be working for these white women. In the beginning Skeeter is aware that there is some danger in these women speaking out about their lives so she decides to write the stories anonymously and change the name of the town and all the people. However, she is somewhat naive about the gravity of the consequences. The woman could face much more than the loss of their jobs. The story is told in the first person but the chapters switch back and forth between Skeeter and two of the maids, Aibilene and Minnie.
The story starts out gently and builds gradually. You see these women in their work environment and what it is like for them to work for wealthy families and raise their children and what it is like for them to go home to their own families. Though Skeeter is a product of her environment and social conditioning she sees things differently and hopes that her stories will affect some change. And it does but not in exactly the way she had envisioned. The writing to me was deceptive as the story seems simple on the surface but subtle undercurrents of power and control, the obvious inequalities of the races, and overt violence against people of color at the time add tension and suspense. It is really a deeper look at what it was to be a black woman living in the south during the 1960's a full 100 years after the Civil War. To me the book is a testament to the sheer strength of will that these women had to muster up every day. Not only did many of them endure the condescension and contempt of their employers who were paying them a pittance to run their households and raise their children, but they also endured the continued oppression of their race, and often domestic abuse in their own homes. It's true that some fared better than others, some enjoyed the respect of their owners and the love of the children they raised. But every day was a test of their courage, their faith and their persistence as they managed to survive the times. For me, it's also a story about the choices we make to be involved in loving and supportive relationships versus harmful and destructive ones. The book rated eight 5's, one 4.75 and two "I loved it's!"
Happy Birthday to Janie! And also a big thanks to both Janie and Terry who brought us a version of the "traveling pants". Rather than wear the pants, however, the idea is to fill them up with badges, pins and other memorabilia from our trips together. Awesome idea ladies!
