I finally got an chance to read this book that has been on my To Be Read list since 2010 atleast! I will count this for my Outdo Yourself challenge. I haven't forgotten about the challeng. I wanted tocatch up on some of my other obligations first.
About the contreversy: I noticed in the back of the book ., the author made a point to mention a maid that
worked for them when she was a little whom she seems fond of, by the name Demetrie, who died when the author was sixteen and was supposed to be the reason for her writing the book. I also noticed in the August
2011 issue of Essence magazine, there is a sister by the name of Abelene Cooper who alleges in her lawsuit against the Stockett family (Kathryn Stockett's ;brother hired her to work for his family) that she worked for them
in 1998, 3 months after her youngest son died from leukemia . She read the
book and said it brought back alot of bad memories for her, they didn't have permission to use her name, and the fact that she compared her skin to the color of a cockroach demonstrates, in her opinion, that after all those years the author didn't seem to get it.
About the book; It's 1961 In Jackson, Mississippi. Ms Skeeter has returned form graduating from college but much to her mother's not-so-subtle disappointment no husband. Her friends Hilly and Elizabeth had dropped out once they got married,playing the role of Southern Hostess. Ms Skeeter is more than taken back by the way her friends treat their help. Ms Skeeter approaches Aibelieen about writing a book that would show people how difficult it really is to be an African-American maid in the south. Of course Aibileen thinks she is nuts, but because it's 1961 mind you she can't come out and say that! But a series of events
would change not only her mind , but several other maids and a book is written detailing just how hard it is to
be a an African American maid back then.
My overall impression: I actually enjoyed the book. I feel a little guilty, being an African American blogger
and admitting this .Now of course the real life Ableen has every right to be offended and once I got to that section of the book(that compared her skin to that of a roach) I could see why she would be. the author had already described her skin color several chapters back there really wasn't a point that I could see that would justify making that comparison.There are so many other words she could have used that wouldn't have had such a negative connotation . The irony is
that Ableen's character is clearly the hero ,almost a saint, which is the part I wasn't crazy about, I felt that she needed to be more complex since there aren't any perfect people that I know of. I felt like the Celia character was a poor man's version of Marilyn Monroe. I did like Minnie's character because she did have alot more complexity, than some of the other characters. I think the author did a pretty good job with the plot and the story by telling it from 3 different perspectives. I was definitely anxious to find out how it was going to turn out. I would give this book 4 stars
