My 'July' book - actually started and completed in the month of July with one day to spare - is The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Of course, this one is a huge best-seller, the movie adaptation is being released soon, yadda-yadda-yadda. The first time I heard of the premise, I have to say I wasn't that interested. But, the buzz caught and I kept hearing over and over again that it was a great read... so, when my co-worker, Nanette, brought it to work and offered to lend it to me, I took her up on the offer happily. I was definitely looking for something to draw me in.

It took me a few weeks to read the book, but the last 150 pages I read in one sitting. Some parts of the story were difficult for me. I was especially uncomfortable reading about the little girl Aibileen takes care of, Mae Mobley. Her mother is less-than-kind to her and how this little girl suffered broke my heart... Mae Mobley is just one of the characters in the book, though, that I think I'll always remember. The main characters were well-developed; however, it was the second tier characters that caught my attention even more. Celia, a white trash woman who married well and doesn't fit in. Hilly, the manipulative ring-leader of the status quo. I don't know... those are the three that will stick with me.

This is a great novel and a slice of a place and time so foreign to me. I work with two people who grew up in Jackson and they've explained that the novel reeks of Jackson, Mississippi... they could relate to the characters and had their own help to think about while reading the book. Even though it was not familiar to me, I'm glad I read it. I think it's important to try to understand where we've come from... and, the point of the book rings through any where at any time...

We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.