I read The Help a few months ago and it is extremely well written. However, its too bad it has so much profanity in it.
Here are some other well written books dealing with similar subject matter:
Uncle Tom's Cabin
An Unlikely Friendship: A novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizaveth Keckley
An Unlikely Friendship: A novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizaveth Keckley
Another great book series (that got me interested in this subject matter to begin with) is Lynn Austin's Refiner’s Fire series.
For more info on Lynn go here.
Blessings,
the little mennonite