This was one of my book club picks ... a big, important book. You know: the kind you want to hate.

Hate it I did-- at least for the first few chapters. I even went to the meeting without having finshed it. (I do that a lot with my bookclub picks, overestimating my ability to read them in less than a week.)

Then it sucked me in. I fell in love with the narrators (especially smart-mouthed Minnie). I cheered when the bitchy Hilly got hers. And I thought about what it would have been like to live in that era, to believe the things those well-bred "ladies" believed.

I ended up thoroughly enjoying "The Help," and I can't wait to see if the movie does it justice. (Love that Emma Stone.)