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2009 was full of excellent literature. Here's an indicative sample of some of, admittedly, great readings that no one should miss.

'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett $13.72

Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the civil rights movement, 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett is a story that captures the reader with its true voices that are hard to believe they are fictional and its strong message about love, hatred, faith, fear and distress. Narrated from the points of view of its three main characters, the book deals with the civil rights movement in Mississippi, but it hardly overwhelms the reader with gloomy descriptions. Instead, it is well-structured conveying the message of selfless kindness and courage.

Miss Skeeter, a twenty-two-year-old white woman, who has just graduated from Ole Miss University, is the educated one, the white one and the privileged one from the cream of white society. However, she is also the only one of her class, who is seemingly capable of shifting her life from charitable events and teas with her girlfriends to discovering the unfairness of Jim Crow segregation laws and social inequality.

Aibileen, a black maid, who has raised seventeen children and has lost her own son in an accident at a lumber yard, is devoted to raising her employer's little daughter. She gives all her heart into bringing her up, teaching her to be caring and loving and not to judge people by the color of their skin.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, a short, fat black maid, who cannot mind her tongue and her sassy, almost rebellious character, is forever losing jobs, until she finds a new position at someone, who is new to Jackson.

The story evolves around these three characters. Although they are seemingly irrelevant, they are too much related. Miss Skeeter's aspiration to become a writer leads to a wonderful project: the idea of collating the stories of the domestic maids. In a 1962 setting that is not favorable towards the black communities this is a radical, almost illegal, project that gives voice in print to the black people contravening the Jim Crow segregation laws.

'The Help' is a brilliant book that possesses a unique brand of genius. The characters are delightfully developed in a solid manner and as each one takes her turn in narrating, the reader becomes attached until the next character takes over. By exposing the points of view of Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny, 'The Help' helps the reader to realize many sides of life in Jackson. Each of the many relationships

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