The Help question

I think the main reason that I liked this book is that I was THERE (only in Tennessee) during these times and relate. We had a black lady iron for us every Thursday for over 15 years and I loved her dearly. She helped me learn to tie my shoes. She wasn't like a servant, though, a paid employee, but at that time we had to take her home to an all Negro neighborhood. There's a lot of truth in this book of views and outlooks...Thank God, we have changed some of those. I would like to see that movie sometime.

My mom inspires me every day of my life. She also recommended I read this book. My mom doesn't know it, but she changes peoples mind all the time. I have two mixed nieces and were I grew up, it was a white neighborhood. My mother was shunned at church, the grocery store, work, all the ladies talking about her behind her back. She held her head high and brought her grandchildren to that all white church for everyone to see. She, along with my sister told them every day that they are beautiful, smart and strong young women. The oldest one is about to go to college with an academic scholarship. My mother couldn't be any more proud. Racism is still around today, but every day I think it gets a little better.

Where I grew up, there was one black girl in my school the whole 12 years I was there. I cannot imagine what she went through... the loneliness, the stares and I am sure bullying too. But when I looked at her I thought she was beautiful: she always had on a pretty dress that was perfectly ironed, I thought the creamy mocha color of her skin was so exotic and lovely and I wanted to be friends with her so bad... but my mother wouldn't let me. She told me that the only two things I could EVER do to lose her love would be to a. Murder someone and B. Marry a black man. So I was too afraid this lovely girl might have had a black brother or cousin somewhere else. But, really, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her...and how much I probably missed out on by not just walking up to her one day as she sat and ate her lunch alone and said 'Hi". It makes me sad that I was so kowtowed by my mother and afraid to cross this line that she had laid down.

My friends read the book and they insisted that I read it, and it has inspired me to do what I believe is right, no matter what people think of me!

My mom was a housekeeper in many homes and she too sort of raised the children in these home. She was treated like family not a paid employee. The children stayed in touched with my mom till she passed away last year. This book touched my heart for these women. I have recommended this book to many readers.

I think every time a friendship is made, it's unusual in someone's eyes. My friend and I went to camp one year and she became boy crazy. She spent all her time with one boy and I put up with it. He ended up breaking her heart and I was there to comfort her even though she hadn't been there for me. Once she had pulled herself together she apologized and thanked me so much for being her friend. A few years later she told me "If this friendship has taught me anything it's that a true friend will care about you even when you've been somewhere else mentally". And that, I think, is the hard lesson Skeeter had to learn in The Help.

My late sister has been an inspiration to me. She went to Ivy League schools and became a lawyer before illness took away her livelihood and eventually her life in 2003. She taught me to achieve. My mom came to this country from the West Indies and told me she is a self made woman. She recalls how she came to the U.S. and liked to froze to death if it wasn't for the parents of the woman she worked for. They were Jewish people with such compassion, they knew she wasn't used to cold climates and helped her body adjust by giving her something after sleeping one night in very cold quarters. To them I am eternally grateful.

My mother is gone now, but she inspired me to be the person I am today, she loved everybody, tried to teach us to accept people for who they were, not the color of their skin...I miss her.

My friends propel me to do all the things in my life! I wouldn't be able to live without them. They always lift my spirits and support me with my decisision when my parents don't. They told me that I could be a writer, even when my mom told me I couldn't. I love them lots. I think they are inspirational like Skeeter!

Friends

A friend is someone we turn to
when our spirits need a lift.
A friend is someone we treasure
for our friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives
with beauty, joy, and grace.
And makes the whole world we live in
a better and happier place.

- Jean Kyler McManus -

My sisters inspires me everyday. No matter what we go through, we can count on eachother to be there. A shoulder to cry on, ear to listen, a friendly voice to comfort. Thank God for them all.

All my friends inspire me by being strong and independent!!

My sister, Veronica Leigh, has to be the not only my best friend, but a huge inspiration in my life as a writer and as a person. She challenges me. Encourages me. I'm so blessed to have her as my sister!

Growing up I had Mrs. Lee who took care of me and lived with us during the winters. I loved this woman she was as unique and strong as the characters in this book. Taught me respect to all races and love.

I liked this story because I know, while this is a work of fiction, this is how life was for many Blacks, especially those living in the South. The characters in this book have real character; there is laughter, tears, friendship, and revenge. What more could you ask for?!

my mother inspired me. She taught me how to be an independent strong confident woman. She was mother my friend.

The first clear memory that I have is holding my little sister a few days after she was born. That sweet moment didn't last long though. Growing up, my sister and I fought like cats and dogs. You name it, we argued about it. Boy we were downright nasty to each other. Our parents would say, "You only have each other" and "someday you'll be friends." We thought they were crazy. Then we entered our teen years and hard times hit, somehow we became friends. We realized that our parents were right: in this world we do only have each other and that despite everything we were friends. Fast forward to the present, it is ten years later and we are adults. Though we look nothing alike, we act like twins and even finish each other's sentences. I cannot imagine my life without my sister. Thanks be to God for bringing us together.

When the struggle for change has seemed impossible, it is all the sweeter when achieved.
To all those that have seen a need for change and charged towards it, regardless of the struggle, the pressure and even the threat, I stand in awe.

I have three very good friends. We met 8 years ago in school and have been best friend ever since. Other friends have come and gone but we've stick together and I honestly can't imagine my life without them. Em is the most goofy, wonderful girl I have met my entire life, Ru is so beautiful and artistic and understanding, and mads is super caring and kind to everyone, even if they aren't super nice to her. Although, how can you not be? All three of them have this magical energy around them that makes my day a million times better. We have been through a lot together and we support each other in everything that we do. I am so lucky to have friends like them and I will always have a very special place for them in my heart!
love you guys!
<3kaya

I was reluctant to read this story at first but heard so many good things about it I started again. I fell in love with Skitter & Aibileen. They were so brave and true to the way things should be instead of following the old wrong ways. I would love to see the movie.

I really enjoyed the book. I think that there are a lot of different people who inspire me. My husband who always encourages me to do more. My friends for doing what they believe in and not listening to other people telling them what to do.

one story that my mom told me really inspired me and kind of made me want to go back just so i could do this. my moms great great ( i dont know how many greats) grandmother and father lived when slaves were being sold. my mom told me that they bought a slave women and imeditily let her free. this would inspire me to got back in time and buy slave just to left them free.

I feel inspired witnessing the kindness between people everyday.

One of my best friends was the girl in class that most people couldnt stand it and no matter I saw something inspiring her, she noticed that a lot of people treated her differently and nothing changed her, I love her for her strenght and strong personality the ways she speaks her mind and wins in life with her own effort and knowledge and most of all the way she can move mountains just to help you when nobody else can or even notice.

I loved the story

I read the book with my book club friends. We all loved it so much we went to see the movie too.
We are a diverse group of women but that helps with the dynamics of our group. We've each had tough times over the last two years but have been there for each other.
Friendships are priceless and should be treasured.

My daughter inspires me but I think it works both ways which is wonderful.

I loved this book and have recommended it to all my friends. My biggest inspirations are my mom, my daughter and my sorority sisters. They are all wonderful, strong women who speak their minds and try to make a difference in this world.

The most unusual friendship I've ever had was when I was in my early twenties. I lived in Honolulu and worked as a bookkeeper at a lumber yard. There was a Hawaiian woman named Lucille who worked in the hardware store section of our company.

For almost a year, she wouldn't give me the time of day, merely giving me what's known as 'stink-eye'over there. Apparently, though, she was watching me. And at the company Christmas party - which consisted of roasting a brined turkey in a converted 50 gallon drum while we all sat in a circle on concrete blocks drinking beer - she spoke to me.

We were as different as could be. I was young, single, thin, blond and blue-eyed, and from the mainland. She was older, married, overweight, the mother of eight children, and born on Oahu.

That night at the party, she stared at me and finally said, "You're pretty. But you don't act pretty." We became friends after that. It was the best compliment I have ever received to this day.

The friendship of the women in "the Help" reminded me of my childhood. I stayed with my grandparents a lot, and they worked so they had Helen come in to clean. I don't remember how often, but I looked forward to seeing her and being with her when I could. She would let me make lunch for us using my children's cookbook.
I never felt strange about being with a "colored" person. She was to me like Alboline was to the children in her care. I felt she loved me more than my own mother. I'm 64 years old and I still think about her often. Reading this book brought me rigt back there.

when i was little , i create from my imagination a friend.
she was my BFF who inspires me ,perhaps because she was like an angle she help me when no buddy think that i need for a help , and she Taught me that we can't judge person after their first word , it true that she isn't a real person but i think that she was more then that .
for this reason i think that she is one of my important step .

I believe that I instantly fell in love with this book because I could relate. Even though we were a low middle class white family, my mother has alway has chronic fatigue disease, so for several years, we had Nanny's (some called them 'The Help' ,who happened to be black women) who took care of us, helped with the cooking & even taught me how to iron. They were considered part of the family, though so I guess the "separate facilities" issue never made it to our house. Looking back, I can perhaps see that they may have felt different in some places, but to us, they were family. Even after we moved to another town, we went back to visit that part of our family. Even though she lived way out on the edge of town. I guess as children we just weren't aware of people being treated differently, & I'm a Georgia girl, but that's not to say that many of the supposed adults who should have known better, didn't. I guess one of the people who has inspired me the most was a very dear friend, (like a 2nd mother) who was one of the black teachers at a school where I worked. We were both poor, I was divorced & had 2 kids, hers were grown. I think my kids grew up without noticing color, age, or the religion of others because we spent so much time together with Miss Sarah. Those years with Sarah, will always be some of my dearest memories.

The girl that has inspired me is actually my best friend. She is very strange, weird-looking, and actually a lot of shy and not outgoing. But when you get to know her, you can see how absolutly loveable she is. And very kind too. Herself is one of the most paccient, carring and helpful/ non interested people you could ever meet. If she knows the way to help you, she will do it. And afterwards all her problems, cuz she has a lot :S she is one of the best students of the school and a amaizing girl...
I will always have someone who takes care of me, and accepts me for who I am, despite all our differences.

I really want to read this book. It sounds amazing and full with serious, horrible things surrounded by wit and humour and the ability to go against what is acceptable in society and what is right.

The person that inspires me is my brother's friend, he had both kidneys removed at six years old and lived on a dialysis machine and chemotherapy for seven years. During this time he missed half of school and could barely see anyone in case they made him sick.

Eventually he was found a compatible donor and got a transplant so he can pretty much do anything now. If you saw him today you wouldn't know all the troubles he has been through.

He shows me that no matter what you go through you can always come out of it happy.

i didn't read the book, but i watched the movie. my sister kept saying what would happen. my sister is inspiring me to read the book after the book i am currently reading, Hunger by Michael Grant.

I feel inspired by way too many people to actually write them all down.

I have two friends that I used to work with both of whom contracted cancer. One older and the other younger.

They have both dealt with this disease in such an inspirational way. They are always cheerful and never down which is fantastic. One is in remission the other is currently undergoing treatment again after the disease came back.

Life is tough for everyone but to see how both of these women have coped with their illness is an ispiration to me.

My friends mean so much to me as I'm sure friendships do to everyone. There is no easy way to explain the way a friend can make you feel and help you get through things in life.

This was a fantastic book and a very well done movie. The book and film made me realize how lucky I was to grow up with a nanny that took care of me and that was and still is my best friend.

Personally, I didn't grow up in a society much like the one described in this book, but with the small dosages of racism and such I did experience, it just made me appreciate the characters and the unlikely friendships described in this book. I beleive there's a lot to learn there.

As for the topic of unlikely friendships, I have a couple of those, for my very own. Well, actually, most my frienships are unlikely, come to think of it..... =]

im gonna read the book, then give it to my aunt to read, and then im going to see the movie, because this story makes me wonder what we could change now-a-days. i want to be liek Skeeter... no afraid to cahnge what's wrong and influence what's right.

an unlikly friendship would be no greater than this book's cahracter's relationships.

I loved the humor, especially in such a serious subject.

All my friends inspire me in their own way!! Thanks guys!:)

My mom and I have both enjoyed this book. It's our favorite of the year.

Too many people to fit in to this box...

My friend Michele from the UK inspires me. Shes's a wonderful individual whos very erudite. She helpes in the community and is an inspiration to all!

I am fortunate to come from a family with a lot of strong female characters. My mom and my three aunts are my primary inspirations. All four of them have their own style. While there are differences, there are more similarities including their innate kindness and compassion for others. These ladies are wonderful role models for the 11 children (8 of which are female) and 14 grandchildren (10 of which are female) they have collectively. Of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my grandmother. She passed away 26 years ago, but not before she built the foundation for the phenomenal family we have today.

This novel had so many echoes of my parent's lives growing up in the South. My mom inspired me to treat others the way I'd like to be treated, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity.

Without my friends I wouldn't be the person I am today. They push me to do things I wouldn't normally do, comfort me when I'm down, and are always there with a hug and warm smile. Love you guys so very much :)

My children have inspired my husband and me. They have never seen color, only the true character of a person. We have learned much from them, bless them for being the wonderful people they are today, and thank them for taking us out of our comfort zone and into a better world.