1960's Mississippi. Eugenia "Skeeter" is a 22 year old aspiring writer who returns to her well-to-do family's cotton plantation after graduating college. Hers is one of the many white southern families in her state whom all have had African American maids cooking, cleaning and raising their children for them for generations.
Skeeter, who tries to fit in with her southern lady friends, playing bridge, socializing and dating southern gentlemen from the right families, is sad and shocked when she discovers that her own life long and much loved maid, Constantine, has left and no one will explain why.
Skeeter gets a job writing for a ladies journal supplying cleaning tips, but knows absolutely nothing about cleaning. She asks Aibileen, the African American maid of one of her friends, if she would assist with the column. Her friend reluctantly lets Aibileen help Skeeter as long as it doesn't interfere with her duties . With a lot of distrust at first, Skeeter slowly befriends Aibileen and then some of the other maids in town, and Skeeter learns about how hard they work and unfair they are treated.
Skeeter is determined to write a book that tells the story of these loving and hard working women who are treated so badly, sharing their stories in hopes of improving their lives in the future. They choose to help Skeeter in her research, at great danger to themselves.
Her "fictional" book set in a "fictional" town hits the shelves and is a blockbuster. All of the southern ladies buy copies and gush and gossip about the stories within, wondering which families and maids the stories could be about. This novel deeply angers Hilly, one of the southern ladies who tries to exact revenge on everyone involved in the book.
Sad. Smart. Moving. Funny. So Very Important. This is a story I believe all high school kids should read and if you haven't yet, I urge you too right away.
Also made into a fantastic movie with a wonderful cast!
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