I Loved this book so so much. The characters felt so real to me, the ideas, and the behaviors were so well described that I was disgusted and intrigued and enlightened all at once. 
 But I know that this is in no way a lighthearted subject, and even though the world has come a long way since the 60s, I'm not so naive to think that it would all get better for these women by the end of the Novel. A bitter-sweet ending was not what I was expecting. But it was appropriate. 
 Kathryn Stockett is a wonderful writer. She brought me into a world I have NEVER experienced so effortlessly that I felt I was there. Her description of Elizabeth seen through the eyes of Aibileen angered me. As a mother of an adorable little boy, I can certainly relate to needing help around the house, but to NEVER be there for your baby seems so alien to me!! But I do know that it did happen, and probably more often then I ever thought. 
 Katheryn Stocket made me think about the hardships of an African American woman in the 1960s. Others have tried and others have failed. This book left a lump in my throat and a bad taste in my mouth. It made me feel guilty that my ancestors were like these white women. But it also made me proud that my mother raised me to believe that everyone was equal and that the color of someone's skin doesn't matter. My grandparents are still VERY racist, so it's AMAZING what one generation can do to change a nation. 
 The best way to describe this book is that it's a lighthearted book with a VERY STRONG message. And my advice to anyone who reads it is to not brush it off lightly, read deep into the lines of the message and learn of a recent history some of us never truly knew about.