What I’m reading

Writers have to read, even if it means taking time away from writing to do it. I go through spurts of reading like a madwoman or writing like one. Rarely will I do both at once.

My book club just finished “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.

Published in February 2009, it’s the story of three women — two black, one white — in 1960s Mississippi. They end up changing the world — or at least their small slice of it — with a book detailing the stories of the maids and families in their care.

It’s been getting  a lot of good press, and I understand why. It’s one of those stories that’s going to stick with me for a very long time. Powerful. Riveting. Disturbing to think that was the way things were — and not all that long ago.

I finished it in just a few days, reading early into the morning because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

It’s not a romance, but it has a few tender moments. Other moments will break your heart or make you laugh out loud.

“The Help” doesn’t need a recommendation from little ol’ me, but it’s getting one anyway. If you haven’t already, check this one out. It might just change the way you see the world.