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Chapter 1-2, pages 1-35
These chapters are narrated by Aibileen, a maid in Jackson, Mississippi who works for Miss Leefolt, the mother of Mae Mobley, but Aibileen is more like a mother to the young girl than her real mother. We are introduced to Minny Jackson, Aibileen's best friend, who cared for her after her son Treelore passed away. Hilly Holbrook, and Skeeter are also introduced as main characters, they are rich white women who are best friends with Miss Leefolt. Read 35 pages, 35 total -
Chapters 3-4 pages 35-62
These chapters tell the story of Minny Jackson, another maid in Jackson and Aibileen's best friend. Minny works for Miss Walter, Hilly's elderly mother. Hilly moves Miss Walter into a retirement home and spreads rumors that Minny tried to steal some of her silver and fires her. This prevents Minny from finding other work and she desperately needs to with a husband and children at home. Minny finds work with Celia Foote, an outcast amongst the white women in Jackson. Read 27 pages, 62 total -
Chapters 5-6, pages 62-94
These chapters are narrated by Skeeter. Skeeter tells of the fights she has with her mother about not wanting to marry and settle down, her mother cannot stand the fact she is tall, skinny, and single. Skeeter also says that she applies for a writing position in New York, she doesn't get the job, but the editor offers to look at her writing and give feedback. Aibileen helps her write the cleaning column at the paper so she can get more writing experience. Read 35 pages, 97 total -
Chapter 6-7, pages 94-109
Skeeter continually tries to find out from Aibileen what happened between her mother and Constantine but Aibileen isn't willing to tell her much. Aibileen also tells Skeeter about the book that Treelore was going to write, about how it was being a colored person woking for a white man in the South. Skeeter gets a response from the Harper and Row editor that says she needs to write something more original. Read 15 pages, 109 total -
Chapter 7, pages 109-121
Aibileen is taking on the responsibitity of potty training Mae Mobley but is having difficulty performing the task because Mrs. Leefolt is unwilling to set an example for her daughter. She finds out the grandson of one of her nicest friends was beaten with a tire iron for accidently using a white bathroom. Skeeter asks her if she wouldn't mind helping her write a book that tells what it is like for maids working in Jackson, Aibileen is scared of the idea and declines. Read 12 pages, 121 total -
Chapters 8-9 pages, 121-136
Skeeter gets a call from Miss Stein but much to her disappointment she says the idea for her book will not work becuase no maid will ever be completely honest with her. After Skeeter does some persuading Miss Stein agrees to read the first story she gets from a maid. Skeeter meets her brother's new girlfriend on the night of her date with Stuart and avoids telling her mother about the date. Read 15 pages, 136 total -
Chapters 9-10, pages 136-151
Skeeter's date with Stuart is a complete disaster after he gets drunk and is incredibly rude to her the entire night. Minny's irritation, anxiety, and fear with Miss Celia is growing as it comes closer to the day she is supposed to tell Mister Johnny about her. Aibileen finally agrees to tell Skeeter about her life and says that her mind was changed by Miss Hilly. Read 16 pages, 151 total -
Chapter 10, pages 151-161
Aibileen tries to convince Minny to share her stroies with Skeeter as will but Minny is reluctant and stubborn. Miss Celia's strange behavior continually has Minny questioning what could be wrong with the woman. Mister Johnny is home when Minny doesn't expect it and he finds her in his room. Read 10 pages, 161 total -
Chapters 10-11, pages 161-171
Mister Johnny is actually happy to find that Celia has hired help becuase he doesn't like the idea of her alone in that house alone all day and he tells Minny she can stay but asks her to keep it a secret form Celia that he knows. Skeeter begins to interview Aibileen. Their first derives very little because Aibileen is reserved and does not share much. Read 10 pages, 171 total -
Chapters 11-12, pages171-181
Skeeter continues to interview Aibileen and hopes she can get information out of her that may actually be useful to the material she sends to Miss Stein. Aibillen starts writing her stories down and then reads them to Skeeter, this makes her more comfortable and she opens up to Skeeter. Skeeter starts checking books out from the white library that Aibileen wants to read. Read 10 pages, 181 total -
Chapter 12, pages 181-191
Skeeters mother begins to get suspicious when Skeeter is spending large amounts of time in her room, she is unaware that Skeeter is editing Aibileen's writing and preparing to send her interview to Miss Stein. Miss Stein likes Aibileen's stories and wantes Skeeter to write twelve more by New Year's. With some persuasion Aibileen gets Minny to talk to Miss Skeeter as well but has been entirely unlucky with every other made she has asked. Read 10 pages, 191 total -
Chapters 13-16, pages 191-248
Skeeter steals a copy of the Jim Crow Regulations from the library and leaves them in her satchel at the league meeting, When she retrieves them from Hilly the Jim Crow booklet is missing. Medgar Evers, a black man with a high rank in the NAACP, is shot and killed on his front porch by a KKK member, starting marches and public anger in the black community. Read 57 pages, 248 total -
Chapters 17-18, pages 248-280
Minny becomes furious with the fact that Miss Celia does not seem to know her place as a white woman and finds Miss Celia in blood from miscarrying after she fought with her. She does a community concerns meeting because she does not want her daughters to have to be maids for the rest of their lives who are treated poorly by whites. When her children talk about Civil Rights outside their house, her husband yells and says it is too dangerous. Read 32 pages, 280 total -
Chapters 19-21, pages 280-333
The book really gets going after Hilly's maid, Yule May, is convicted of stealing a ring from Hilly to pay for her boys college and gets four years in penitentary. This angers other maids and many are now willing to talk to Skeeter. Skeeter and Stuart are an official couple but after a terrible dinner a his parent's house, break up when Stuart is not able to say he is over his ex. Read 53 pages, 333 total -
Chapters 22-23, pages 333-354
Mae Mobley begins to call Aibileen her mother and Miss Leefolt is spaking her for it. When Skeeter puts in the newsletter to drop off old toilets at Hilly's house, Hilly swears revenge and kicks her out of the bridge club and makes people promise to not speak to her. Martin Luther King leads the Civil Rights march of 1963 and Miss Celia lets it slip that Minny is her maid and Hilly vows to get to the bottom of the story. Read 21 pages, 354 total -
Chapters 24-25, pages 354-392
Minny fears that Aibileen will take the fall for getting her the job with Miss Celia but Minny is ultimately blamed for everything, Miss Celia however, doesn't care what Hilly and all her friends say about Minny. Leroy beats Minny again and Miss Celia tries to convince her that they should call the police and do something about it. The League benefit takes place and the attendance of Johnny and Celia causes a stir. Read 38 pages, 392 total -
Chapters 26-28, pages 392-457
Miss Celia is embarassed and refuses to get out of bed until Minny reveals to her that she made Hilly a chocolate pie with her poop in it. Aibileen decides to tell Skeeter the truth about Constantine, how she gave brith to a white baby and put it up for adoption, but they were later reunited. Skeeter and Stuart begin dating again and he proposes, she tells him the truth about the book and leaves her. The book is sent to Elaine Stein and she decides to publish it. Read 65 pages, 457 total -
Chapters 29-30, pages 456-478
The book is published and Skeeter sends copies in an unmarked box to Aibileen's church. Aibileen and Minny are honored at their church and rumors begin to swirl that the book is about Jackson. Miss Celia tells Johnny about all of her miscarriages with Minny there and Johnny thanks Minny for probably saving her life during her last miscarriage. Read 22 pages, 478 total -
Chapters 31-34, pages 478-522
Skeeter is offered a job as an assistant to an editor at Harper's in New York, she feels guilty about leaving Aibileen and Minny but they convince her to take the job. Hilly tries to get Elizabeth to fire Aibileen and press charges for her stealing silver but she cannot do it, Aibileen leaves Miss Leefolt's and thinks of doing more writing projects. Minny takes her kids and leaves Leroy for good. Read 35 pages, 522 total