The HelpThe Help
Score Modern
What it's about
Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Aibileen is a Black maid raising her seventeenth white child while grieving her own son. Her friend Minny is the best cook in town but can't hold her tongue, which keeps getting her fired. Skeeter, a young white woman just home from college with dreams of being a writer, begins secretly recording their stories of working for white families, a project that puts all three women at real risk.
Why it's worth reading
It's a hugely popular, emotional and often funny story about courage and friendship across the color line, with three distinct narrators readers love. It sparked countless book-club conversations about race and who gets to tell whose story.
You'll love it if you liked
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Color Purple
The Book ThiefGood to know
It's been criticized for a white author writing in the voices of Black women, and for centering a white savior; many readers find it worth reading with that conversation in mind. About 540 pages but fast.
By the numbers
- Readers99 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller96 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #3 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #7 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #24 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #50 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Kathryn Stockett
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Quick answers
Is The Help worth reading?
Yes. It's a hugely popular, emotional and often funny story about courage and friendship across the color line, with three distinct narrators readers love. It ranks #50 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 89.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Help about?
Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Aibileen is a Black maid raising her seventeenth white child while grieving her own son. Her friend Minny is the best cook in town but can't hold her tongue, which keeps getting her fired. Skeeter, a young white woman just home from college with dreams of being a writer, begins secretly recording their stories of working for white families, a project that puts all three women at real risk.
How long does it take to read The Help?
About 12 hours (466 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Help?
If you liked it, try To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Color Purple by Alice Walker or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.