“All I’m saying is, kindness don’t have no boundaries.”
Kathryn Stockett’s The Help is a 2009 novel that has become one of the bestselling historical fiction books of all time and was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film directed by Tate Taylor. Set during the 1960s in Mississippi, it follows the story of three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement forever changes their local town and how women, mothers, daughters and friends view each other. A poignant exploration of the racial discrimination prevalent across the United States in the 1960s, The Help is a heartfelt novel filled with compelling characters, humour, hope and an inspiring message. Join us at What We Reading as we delve into some of our favourite books like The Help that any fan of Stockett’s story can dive into!
To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
First up on our list of books like The Help is another Southern America classic whose movie adaptation went on to become as infamously successful, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Set in the mid-1930s in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama, the story is told through the narration of Scout Finch, a six-year-old who lives with her brother, Jem, and her lawyer father, Atticus.
From the outset, the prejudices of the residents of Maycomb are made apparent. Atticus is soon asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of attacking a white woman. Even though everyone knows he has no hope of winning, Atticus takes on the case. Through the innocent eyes of Scout, readers follow the trial as it develops as she and her brother learn valuable lessons on tolerance, empathy and understanding in the process.
A Thousand Never Evers – Shana Burg
In Kuckachoo, Mississippi in 1963, Addie Ann Pickett idolises her brother, Elias, and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her reckless act leads to her brother’s disappearance, she and her uncle Bump continue not knowing whether he is dead or alive.
Then, a good deed intended to unite the people of Kuckachoo sets up a chain of explosive, and potentially deadly, events. Addie Ann knows that Old Man Adams left his land for whites and blacks to plant a garden and reap the benefits together, but the mayor of the town denies it. When the garden-picking day comes about, Addie Ann and her family are tested by their greatest tragedy. Yet, through such tragedy, she can find a voice and strength to lead a civil rights march of her own, potentially shifting the fate of her town and her people forever. Similar to The Help, Shana Burg’s A Thousand Never Evers is a Mississippi-based historical fiction story exploring the discrimination and violence endured by blacks.
Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet – Jamie Ford
Another one of the best books like The Help for those looking for a story that explores themes of hope, humanity and friendship, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a 2009 novel by Jamie Ford. In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. The new owners have discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during the Second World War. There, Henry, a Chinese-American, remembers a Japanese American girl, Keiko Okabe.
The pair forged a close friendship during the 1940s that transcended the animosity of their Old War ancestors. Once Keiko and her family were evacuated to the camps, they could only hope their promise to one another would be kept. Now, forty years in the future, Henry begins to explore the basement of the Panama for the Okabe family’s belongings, and the one item that means more than any other on the planet. His search soon takes him on a journey back to the sacrifices he was forced to make for family, love and country.
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt – Beth Hoffman
Twelve-year-old CeeCee is in trouble. For years, she has been the sole caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille. Then, as tragedy strikes, Tootie Caldwell, a previously unknown great-aunt comes to the rescue and whisks her off to Savannah. Suddenly, CeeCee finds herself immersed in a world of Southern eccentricities in a world seemingly run entirely by women. She begins encountering all manner of bizarre and wonderful characters, all of whom keep her entertained and enthralled throughout one unforgettable summer.
But, CeeCee’s view of the world is soon challenged in ways she never would have imagined. Loyalties need to be maintained, injustices need to be faced and secrets need to be kept. Just as it looks as though she might have found somewhere to belong, she begins to fear her mother’s legacy might lead to it all coming crashing down. One of the best readalikes to The Help, Beth Hoffman’s Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is a Southern tale filled with plenty of laughs and heartbreaking explorations of female familial relationships.
Kindred – Octavia E. Butler
Dana, a contemporary Black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is suddenly snatched from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning and Dana has been summoned to save him. From there, Dana is repeatedly pulled through time to the slave quarters, with each time lasting longer and posing more danger than the one before.
Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 classic Kindred is undoubtedly one of the best books like The Help for those looking for another read that captures one of the most heinous parts of American history. There’s no sugarcoating the arduous and accurate depictions of slavery, and the strong female protagonist attempting to survive as the odds are stacked against her will resonate with every fan of Kathryn Stockett.
The Secret Life Of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Set in South Carolina in 1964, Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees is the story of Lily Owens, whose entire life has been moulded by the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Rosaleen, Lily’s fierce black ‘stand-in mother’, insults three of their town’s deepest racists, she decides to spring them both free.
The pair escape to Tiburon, the town that holds the secrets of her mother’s past. There, they are taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters and Lily is introduced to the worlds of bees and honey. With its Southern 1960s setting, themes of race relations and family and empowering message to women, The Secrets Life of Bees is one of the best books for those who loved The Help.
We Are All Welcome Here – Elizabeth Berg
In the summer of 1964 in Tupelo, Mississippi, tensions are racing to boiling point over the civil rights demonstrations that are appearing more frequently, and more violently, across the state. But in Paige Dunn’s small ramshackle house, there are more pressing issues to deal with. Despite the effects of the polio she contracted during the closing stages of her pregnancy, she is determined to live as normal a life as possible. With the support of her black caregiver, Peacie, she wants to raise her daughter, Diana, in a way she sees fit.
As a fourteen-year-old, Diana wants to shrug off the authority of her mother and Peacie and begin working out the mysteries of boys and escape the oppressiveness of her small town. What she cannot escape, however, is how her life is different from others and the responsibilities she has in caring for her mother. As the summer unfolds, hate and adversity will arrive at their door. Yet, like The Help, Elizabeth Berg’s We Are All Welcome Here follows these three women all find their path to independence, understanding and peace.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
