The Help is a glorious first novel, set in Mississippi in the 1960s. An appealing protagonist who yearns to be a writer interviews a dozen black maids who work for the families of her friends. Juxtaposed with King's fateful march, history in the making and the changing South and a changing America are beautifully portrayed. Like the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, which I also highly recommend, the plucky writer and the people she befriends transcends what at first seems like a tough subject for an upbeat charming book.

A story of a hero of our time, the beautifully told account of med student, Deo, who arrives in the US from Burundi with $200, no English, and no contacts. Deo learns English from dictionaries, is befriended by strangers, and ultimately completes medical school. Told by Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder, author of another medical biography which I adore, Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Luis Alberto Urrea, author of the Lonesome Dove-like saga of Mexico The Hummingbird's Daughter (Hachette, $14.99 paperback, 2006) which is a fabulous big sweeping novel, returns with a modern tale of the intrepid women who rescue their tiny Mexican village by employing The Magnificent Seven tactics--look for seven good men to defend the village. Their quest takes them over the US/Mexican border and into the beautiful north. Added attraction: a joyful and surprisingly funny look at Mexican border politics and life.