I can't "Help" it

So many people have been talking about this book, especially since the movie has recently been released. I have wanted to post about this book ever since I read it back at the first of this year. I won't give the synopsis of the story since I'm sure most of you are now familiar with it. But, I wanted to share what the book meant to me and what I thought. For me, this book was hands down a game changer. I went through so many emotions while reading it. It made me re-evaluate the way I thought about many topics, not just race. The story's message is surrounded by race, but for me, I saw it as so much more. I think it hit on the founding principle of Christianity: Love. Wouldn't our world be such a grander place if we all looked past age, race, ethnicity,sex, social class, job status, education level, etc. and just loved each other knowing we all are different in so many ways. That's what I took away from this book. I still think about it often and will say it has affected me, I think for the better. That's why I call it a game changer. I don't know what I would have done or said had I lived in the 60's. What would I have believed? So many things are spoon fed to us as children by our parents and society, so I know people used that as a reason for their actions. But, I believe, there comes a time in our lives where we give up that crutch and realize we are adults and should think for ourselves.

The whole time I was reading this book (and I should say it didn't take long, such a page turner), I was stopping to tell Clint bits and pieces. I had to share it with someone. I wanted so badly to be in a book club so I could talk about it with other readers. So much so that I sent it to my grandmother to read. It was great getting to discuss it with someone who actually was old enough during this era to remember.

I went to see the movie a few weeks ago and feel in love with the story all over again. I would recommend reading the book but if you aren't a reader, the movie is one of the closest-to-the-book movies I have ever seen. Read it or see it!