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The Help

Written by: Kathryn Stockett
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer, Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's Summary

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid, Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her 17th white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

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, friends—view one another.

This edition now includes the afterword "Too Little, Too Late—Kathryn Stockett in Her Own Words", as read by the author.

©2009 Kathryn Stockett, Cover Art: (c) 2011 DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC (P)2009 Penguin Audio
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What the critics say

“The two principal maid characters...leap off the page in all their warm, three dimensional glory...[A] winning novel.” (The New York Times)

“This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird…If you read only one book...let this be it.” (NPR.org)

“A beautiful portrait of a fragmenting world.” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

What listeners say about The Help

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Brilliant

Such a great book. I’ve been wanting to read The Help for so long but never did. I actually bought a copy once but ended up giving it away as a gift before reading it!
I haven’t been listening to books on Audible that much lately, but I decided to get The Help and some other books because I had so many unused credits and I’m really glad I did.
The performances added richness to the experience in an unbelievable way. I felt like I was there living the story with the characters. I was in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. I could see every detail clearly in my head.
Normally I just rate the books without writing a review and I rarely give a 5 stars rating because its really hard to find perfect book. But this book is Perfect.
Oh and I’m so glad that I gave the printed copy of book away before reading it otherwise I wouldn’t have enjoyed it this much.

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  • Overall
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Exceptional

I listen to audiobooks while mucking stalls and this book had me laughing out loud, crying, and pausing to reflect. I watched the movie after and while sweet, it’s got nothing on the quality of this book. Anyone and everyone should read it

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Great book

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters! The voices of the different characters were really well done. Definitely recommend it!

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Great summer read.

Character development is very good. I was a bit frustrated with Sceeters naivety and how there could have been a deeper uncovering of her own priviledge and self realization. I loved the character of Mini.

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Great story!

Fantastic story! The book is better than the movie. Narration is great with different voices for different characters. Wonderful!

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Fantastic!

A must "read". I was drawn into the story right away. It was hard to stop listening, the story was over too soon!

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Amazing acting and a heartfelt story

So many feelings being struck up by this book. The voice acting is phenomenal and really helped me stay in the story.
It is a relatively sober look at race relations between white people and their domestic help in the south. But there are lots of endearing moments and moments of levity so it’s a reasonably light book.

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All around amazing

Great story with delightful rememberable characters. Just did a re-listen and was just as good the 2nd time around. 5/5!

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Wonderful

Loved this book! The narrators were so compelling, I did not want the book to end!!

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My house is spotless!!

This is the first audiobook (of 5) that held my attention easily, even while doing other activities. The storyline is engaging and the performance is spectacular, as it is narrated by multiple poeple. I felt fully immersed in the characters and the plot, entering a time and culture so different from my own. It is a long listen but it flew by. I found myself looking for any opportunity to listen. I even looked forward to cleaning my house!

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