The story is simply gorgeous, very well written (a visual style) that showcases the emotion but also humor.
To summarize: Jackson, Mississippi. At a time when one considers that the woman is fulfilled by becoming wife, housewife and especially mother, Eugenia alias "Skeeter" young white of her condition, dream of being a journalist when his mother a stickler for principles, dreams only to see her settle down with a good family guy.
Outraged by the behavior of whites against blacks and haunted by the unexplained departure of Constantine, the right by which she was raised, she decided to make something happen.
Dégotant a reporter station to the "How to be a perfect housewife", she manages to convince a parallel black maid, Aibileen, telling what his daily service to his "patron" white. Other good follow suit, between fear and hope things change ...
The cast of characters is really exceptional, the book is also generally divided into chapters "focus" on one of the character. So we follow the story line but not necessarily through the eyes of the same person.
Eugenia alias "Skeeter" is the mainstay of the novel. It's a bit "ugly duckling" of the group "white" a Rosa Parks at the pale faces. Her friends are all casées, almost all of the kids and have interests very "blah" be nice, play cards, have the most beautiful home, give the most exquisite entertainments, have the best "good". .. Skeeter, she is a grasshopper hair Indomitable, who strut the fashion and brushings. It is not very pretty, did not want to marry the guys presented to him and is deeply in love with freedom. In short, it is independent, embodying the absolute modernity in this highly formatted medium.
Hilly Holbrook is the great evil of the novel, it is infuriating, undrinkable, the typical American southerner who hate blacks, the mother to the perfect home venerated by the other women of the city, it holds under his control to do not mean leash. Hilly is influential, Hilly scares ... the crease, going against his ideas, is to venture on a very slippery slope, it is asking for big trouble. Because nothing stops when it has you in the nose, ruin your reputation, you busted, white or black, it's the same. This is a rather cartoonish character because everything is taken to extremes in her: His attitude, his physique, his ideas. It creates, in the course of history; this feeling of permanent anxiety that goes crescendo. It is like a time bomb waiting to splash everyone venom flowing through his veins. A monster in the guise of a vintage Barbie. It operates in an artificial environment is unsaid, appearances, selfishness and hypocrisy. It features an outdoor smile, exposing his decency junk but behind closed doors, what happens is never pretty.
Big favorite for Aibileen and Minny (among others). They embody emotion, strength and courage. We live with them, the pages thread, their daily lives, their feelings, humiliation they suffer all the time (the history of separate toilets is crucial, especially well treated but there are many others ...) the fear too because it is the gun that whites settle their account. At night, the streets of the black neighborhood, no one feels safe, everyone feels concerned and is scared stomach that goes home praying to God not to be cowardly shot him in the back ...
Characters humble and strong at once, and not without humor (the palm to Minny) is with courage that they will agree to the narrative of their pathetic working conditions but also beautiful memories, the love they have for the children they have raised, friendship (secret) which sometimes united them to their bosses. And that is beautiful too, is seeing friendship, love, strength between these women.
A host of interesting minor characters just added.
In the end, even though the theme of segregation was again and again treated in the books as the small screen, this novel does with a lot of freshness and simplicity, without falling into melodrama and never get bored a moment. This theme is a solid backstory for this story. It's a real tribute made to women. Love them or hate them, they are all fighting for a cause, be it good or bad: Live life as we understand it, social success, be free, be loved and accepted for that is, to give her children the chance of a better future ... messages which in any case can not be ignored.
I was surprised at the end. I will not say any more. This is a relatively abrupt end but so full of hope. Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny are reaping the benefits of what they have sown, the breath of a storm, but especially the wind of freedom for each of them, in the turmoil of events, will seize the opportunity to another life.
And that, you see, it gives me fishing, that hope, that little voice that tells you to never give up and that everything is still possible.
A must read.