Many thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for granting my wish to read a digital ARC of the first book by Kathryn Stockett since she wrote The Help - it was worth the 17-year wait! All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!
It's 1933 in Oxford, Mississippi, and times are extremely tough for almost everyone. We meet Meg, an 11-year-old who is taken to the Orphan Asylum because her mother never came back from a trip to the store. Meg is one of the "big girls" at the orphanage, deemed unadoptable, and woman in charge singles her out for the worst treatment. Birdie travels to Oxford from her small town hoping to get a loan from her married sister, Frances, in order that the home she shares with her mother and grandmother won't be taken because of the taxes due. Frances volunteers at the orphanage, and Birdie is enlisted to help with the books, where she meets Meg. This meeting sets up the rest of the story.
Wow - this book is a commitment at 650 pages, but it is well worth the time. Plus, the time will fly as you are transported back in time. There are a lot of tough subjects here - racism, sexism, poverty, abuse - but the humor portrayed within softens all those rough edges. It's the story of how women take back their power to try and make better lives for themselves however they can, even when the chips are stacked against them. They all fight back against the labels that have been attached to them, and it is inspiring. Meg and Birdie are both wonderful characters that will capture your heart, but the rest of the supporting cast are just as wonderful (with a few exceptions!). Highly recommended!
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