The Help

I do not usually write about books on our blog. This is because I feel like the popularity of books if fleeting, and I want this blog/record to be more timeless to me. I am going to make an exception and that is because I feel like this book is an exception. When I finish a book, I like to think about it for a few days so I can really figure out  how I feel before I start talking to people about it. But I knew from the first chapter of The Help that I loved it.

I have been ignoring Alex for the last two days while I sit on the couch and let him entertain himself. I could not set down the book. I read it as I was making lunch or feeding Alex. I read it while sitting on a blanket outside and only occasionally looked up to make sure Alex wasn't in the middle of the road. I read it every opportunity I could find. I even stayed in my pajamas all day today.

It is a beautiful and moving novel. It had me laughing and crying and reading portions to Sam. Then he would look at me like I am crazy because the portion was out of context and how could it be funny that someone has a corn cob up their butt? I have found myself talking like the writing, which doesn't make me sound very smart since it is 1960s Southern Drawl. I love how the book was written.

I started this book knowing nothing about it and borrowed it from a friend because it is our book club's book this month. It has since been added to my list of top three favorite books (along with The Hiding Place and The Book Thief). The other two books are favorites because I still think about them; I think that is what makes a book good. Life (and death) reminds me of these books and they have changed the way I look at the world. I can already see that The Help is one of those books. So read it. You don't even have to love it, but it is a must-read.