Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the turbulent Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling debut novel chronicles the relationship between Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young white woman, and two African-American maids, Miss Aibileen and Miss Minny.  These women are divided from one another by the well-defined lines of conduct that history, politics, and economics have etched into the soil of Mississippi—lines that say that the domestic help are somehow “lesser than” their white employers.  However, through shared stories, a strong faith in God, and their emerging trust in one another, these new friends help to blur and erase these lines; in the process, they teach their community important lessons about courage, truth, and acceptance.  A must-read for anyone who hopes and believes that, together, all of God’s people can build a better world.