Also known as "Bestsellers Made into Movies," or "Try not to picture Julia Roberts or Emma Stone as you read these." But nonetheless, what I love about winter break was curling up in a variety of places (Bellingham, Snohomish, Camas) and reading.
This one, I did watch the movie first, on a whim when it popped up on Netflix watch instantly. My most bookwormish of friends informed me that the book was so much more complex, which I guess is the case, oh, 100% of the time. So on a whim, when the book popped up in our library at work, I borrowed it. Parisa was right, the main character Elizabeth writes about her adventure beautifully and humorously. Elizabeth is a 30-something divorcee, coming to terms with her major upheaval by getting a book deal to travel around the world to explore 3 things she felt she needed to find: pleasure in Italy, devotion in an Ashram in India, and the art of balancing both in Bali.
This book was recommended by my sister, also an avid bookworm. The story is about a college graduate in Mississippi, Skeeter Phelan, who endeavors to write a book about African-American maids perspectives' on their experiences working for white families. It is set during the civil rights movement, a turbulent time for the maids to come forward at the risk of their jobs and their livelihoods. Skeeter does her best to keep the project a secret, especially since most of the maids she's interviewing work for the women she grew up with, and she gets an inside look into how they've neglected raising their children and mistreat the maids, or how they share an intimate connection and consider each other family.
Thanks for reading, I know my posts are few and far between but it means a lot to me! And happy new year, I can tell 2012 is going to be a doozy.
