I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This is a novel set in Mississippi in the early 1960’s, and is a story about the relationships between white women and their colored maids. I never thought much about those relationships, until I started reading this book. As a girl who grew up in the south, I can certainly relate to the story.
While we weren’t “high society”, far from it, we had a maid because Mama had to go to work to help support the family. Lena lived up the road from us, in a house much better than ours. She came to our house Monday through Friday to take care of the five of us kids, clean the house, do the laundry and ironing, and cook dinner. I don’t know how much she was paid, but I can tell you it probably wasn’t enough. She was always polite and deferential to my mother. She was pretty tough on us kids, and wielded a pretty mean hickory switch.
While the maids in The Help were treated badly, it was accepted in those times. I truly understand why they were willing to risk everything to get their story told. Kathryn Stockett tells the story well—I read the entire book in three days. While I think anyone would enjoy reading it, The Help will be especially appreciated by those of you who grew up southern in the 1950’s and 60’s.
I’ve been wanting to read this book! I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in the 50s == but my mom was Southern — so for that reason I’ve always read everything I could get my hands on of Southern literature (in an effort to understand that part of my background!) And now that we’ve spent some time in “Piggly Wiggly country” ourselves and seen some of the historical parks etc… I am even MORE eager to read this book; I like learning about ordinary lives as well as learning about famous people.
I will have to find this and see if I like it. We also had a maid in the 50’s and 60’s. There were three of us kids and Mother worked with Daddy at his grocery store 3 or 4 days a week. Katherine came to the house once a week by bus and did laundry and cleaning. At some point, when I was a young teenager, Lois replaced Katherine. Lois came twice a week and did the same chores. They never did any cooking. My grandmother lived with us and she did all the cooking. Lois even came to my house for a couple of years when I was first married, 1969 and 1970. She worked for my parents til the late 70’s, when she quit cleaning houses and got a ‘real job’ in downtown Atlanta, cleaning offices at night. I never knew anything more about them or their families.
Thanks for the tip on the book.
I meant to add…we lived in Atlanta.
I grew up in upstate SC in the ’70s. My dad grew up in the same town in the ’50s. Although his family was dirt poor, I remember his mentioning a colored woman who came and helped his mother, and her husband worked with his father on the dairy farm. This man was with my grandfather when he passed away from a massive heart attack in 1966. They were faithful friends of my grandparents’, even though they were paid help. I don’t imagine that my grandparents treated them badly, because I wouldn’t think they would have been loyal friends for so many years if they had. Plus I can’t imagine my grandma treating anyone badly! 🙂 I’d be interested in reading this book. I’ve always been interested in black/white relations, having grown up in the busing and desegregation era in the south.