Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Although not entirely finished with this novel, I find it extremely entertaining and insightful. Elizabeth Gilbert, or "Liz", tells the story of recovering from her divorce-induced depression. She decided that in order to start over, eat her heart out, follow god, and (unexpectedly) find love once more. Liz wrote her novel in 108 parts, symbolizing the 108 beads on the traditional "malas" or, meditation necklaces. When Liz first divorced her husband, she found a buddhist guru to follow, initiating her quest to India. I find this very inspirational considering I am not a very religeous person. Her faith in god gave her strength and I respect her very much for that. I am very excited to get to her travels in India to read more about her religeon and meditations. I am currently reading about her expedition to Rome, Italy. Here she eats her heart out and makes new friends. I have to say, her outstanding use of imagery when she describes her many Italian meals inspires me to venture to my kitchen for a midnight snack. Gilbert is a wonderful author and I am very excited to keep reading this novel!

Symbolism of the robin in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgen Burnett is a beautifuly written story. Mary, the main character moves from India to a moor in Northern England when her parents die. There, she befriends a robin who leads her to the secret garden that she has been looking for. The robin is homologous to Mary. Both the robin and Mary are curious; Mary spends her time searching for a secret garden and the robin spends his time poking around in Ben Wetherstaff's and Mary's bussiness. Mary and the robin are also both very lively; Mary skips rope and gardens all day, building up a serious appetite and the robin chirps around, trying to communicate with the people for the entire day. These similarities bring Mary and the robin to one significant way that they are alike. Both are just looking for a friend. They end up finding a friend in each other and the robin leads Mary to the secret garden where she is able to find her childhood innocence and a few more friends.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is an inspirational novel set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. The book revolves around segregation and racism towards the maids, or help, of the haughty southern ladies of Jackson. The book is narrated by three different women We start off by hearing the book in Aibleen's, a black maid to Miss Elizabeth Leefolt. Aibleen is bascically the mother figure to Miss Leefolt's daughter, Mae Mobley. We hear of how much Aibleen loves Mae Mobley and how poorly Miss Leefolt treats Mae Mobley and Aibleen. The catalytic proposal by Miss Leefolt's best friend, Miss Hilly, to install bathrooms in every house in Jackson, Mississippi for the help to use sets the book in motion. Miss Hilly proposes this because of her false accusations that all colored people carry diseases and other ungodly disorders. She felt that by sharing bathrooms, the "diseases" would contaminate the entire house. Miss Hilly demands her friend, Miss Skeeter, the writer of the League of Jackson's newsletter, to write a proposal to the bathroom installation plan in the newsletter. Miss Skeeter, a more liberal southerner decides that this segregation is not right. She refuses to post the article and with her new rage, she begins to truly pursue a job in journalism. After talking to the editor of a New York City publishing company, Skeeter begins to write a book about being a maid in Jackson. She interviews Aibleen and Minny (the third, rambunctious narrator) along with 10 other maids. When finally published, her book begins to create drama in the white community, especially with Miss Hilly. Although the book is 100% anonymous, she realizes that the book was written about her and her friends by their help. And, although in the end many maids get fired and families are torn apart by the effects of the book, it was a groundbreaking attempt to end segregation in Jackson and show, the efforts and miseries of the help in Jackson, Mississippi.