A Quote From "The Help"

I broke down and bought a "Kindle" back at the end of April. I say, "broke down" because I have always considered myself to be "old school" where books are concerned. Meaning? Well, I want to hold that book in my hand...hardcover, paperback -- whatever the case may be, and "feel" that page between my fingers when I turn it.

The problem is, my eyes -- like the rest of me -- are old and tired and worn out, and they don't "read" so well anymore, so I thought, "what the heck." I'm an electronic gizmo junkie anyway, and most of my friends were surprised I didn't have one already. So, I bit the bullet, bought the Kindle, and I'm so glad I did.

I read...maybe...two books in all of 2010, and I've already read six books since the first of May, including "Treasure Island," a novel I had never read...never really had an interest in reading, sad to say. But I have discovered that a great many of the classics; i.e., Dickens, Austen, Dumas, Bronte, etc., are available for download at no cost, so my Kindle is "fully" stocked with a rather eclectic reading list...and all at my fingertips. I'm loving it!

Now, back to the reason that prompted this post. I just started reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett; I became interested in it when I saw the trailer for the movie last week. In case you are not familiar with the book, it is about a young white woman in early 1960s Mississippi who becomes interested in the circumstances of several black ladies' maids, and she relates their stories of mistreatment and abuse and heartbreak endured while working in the homes of their white employers. The movie looks interesting, and I recognized Viola Davis (remember her from "Badge?") so off to Amazon.com I did go, and "bippity boppity boo" I downloaded it to my Kindle. It's like magic.

After all that roundaboutation -- sorry -- here is the quote from Aibileen, played by Viola Davis, that caught my eye and made me laugh. Aibileen is in the kitchen of her employer, Miss Leefolt, on her hands and knees cleaning the oven, trying to avoid a conversation with said Miss Leefolt. In fact, in her zeal to elude her proprietress, she relates through narration that, "Pretty soon my head's so far in that oven I look like I'm trying to gas myself." Aibileen remains on her hands and knees and continues to describe what it's like cleaning that oven, and eventually says, "Got to be the worst place in the world, inside an oven. You in here, you either cleaning or you getting cooked."

I am only a few pages into the book, but I know without a doubt that it will be a quick, enjoyable, and interesting read. And, while I likewise know that this story will be about so very much more than black maids cleaning ovens and washing dishes and picking up after “white folks,” I find myself inclined to agree with Aibileen; there are few things I detest more than cleaning a greasy, grimy, dirty oven.

Found the photo from "The Help" on Google...they're everywhere.