The Help

Assalammualaikum, 

It has been a long time since I last did a book review on my blog. Well, it is actually been too long since I ever updating everything. This is because my laptop is moving so slow and it gets me fade up waiting it to upload pictures, or even to write a sentence! And the reason why I started to write again is because I just bought an Ipad last March. It is so convenient because I can carry it everywhere and most important it has a Blogspot apps. And that explains if you recently noticed I updated my blog quite frequent. 

During my pregnancy, I surrounded myself with pregnancy books and magazines, reading the same thing over and over again (it does help me a bit). But hands-on experience is the one that taught you a lot. Books are as guidelines only. Too much of pregnancy motherhood books, looking at endless babies and fetus diagrams making me sneaking my time off by reading The Help. 

By the title, it may seems like a boring spiritual book or something, well at least that was what I thought. But it is totally not. It changed when I watched the movie with the same title "The Help" on HBO. The movie is based from this book. The word 'HELP' is not a symbolic or intangible, not even an action, it litterally means the help, a helper or a maid by an easier definition. 

Basically, this book is revolved in the era around 1960s whereby the racism was still a main issue in US. This book described how these Black community were being bullied and manipulated. Note, there was no slavery involved. The story took place among the house helpers in the Jackson neighbourhood and stories they shared about their employer. The whites then were looking at these Blacks as disease carriers that every house were required to build an outdoor toilet. Yes, they can't share the toilets, they can't eat in the same restaurant with the whites, they went to cinemas designated for them, different church and so on. 

Then, there come this white writer who is different from the rest who just graduated from college and dream to become a writer in New York. She got an idea to write story from different perspective hence the story from the helpers itself. So, she started gather stories from one helper to another and compiled them all to make this book. It was a challenge as the helpers were all afraid the consequences they may faced by speaking up. So, the writer then changed the name of all characters and writing as anynomous. 

It is a very good book. It is sad, funny and touching at the same time. If you like the movie, you'll be liking this book. If you like the book, you will like the movie. Hahaha. Don't worry, this book uses a simple English, so you no need to carry the dictionary around. Happy reading. I gave this book 4 out of 5.