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The Calamity Club
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The multimillion-copy-selling author of The Help returns with a bold, big-hearted novel about a group of unbreakable women, fighting for what’s rightfully theirs—and the power of friendship to change everything.
“A must-read.”—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
Oxford, Mississippi, 1933.
Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed.
Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies.
Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates—and Meg's—converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.
The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to underestimated women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.
“A must-read.”—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
Oxford, Mississippi, 1933.
Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed.
Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies.
Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates—and Meg's—converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.
The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to underestimated women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.
656 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 5, 2026
130147 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Stockett
6 books14.9k followersKathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and creative writing, she moved to New York City, where she worked in magazine publishing for nine years. She currently lives in Mississippi and New York City.
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March 19, 2026Guess who got the ARC 😜
➳Pre-release:
Obsessed already and it's not even out. A whole book about the resilience of female friendship? That's my Roman empire 💅
➳Pre-release:
Obsessed already and it's not even out. A whole book about the resilience of female friendship? That's my Roman empire 💅
March 7, 2026
4.5 stars
1933, Oxford Mississippi. Bearing the steamy heat and the burdens of the post depression, burdens that fall on them because life happens, we meet a cast of fully realized characters, the faces of strength and resilience in spite of it all. The story unfolds with alternating narratives of two of the main characters who took me into their hearts and souls from the minute I met them. Bright, precocious and funny, eleven year old Meg is an orphan at The Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. Her story of abandonment at nine, the physical and emotional abuse she suffers at the hands of the vile director of the orphanage was chilling. A ray of hope when her path crosses Birdie a smart, defiant, kind and also funny young woman trying to save her mamma and meemaw from dire circumstances and then her sister and her sister’s mother in law.
A winding plot with a lot of other characters covering multiple themes - the injustice and violation of sterilization against women deemed to be immoral and feeble minded, the horrible treatment of orphans, adultery, the stigma of homosexuality, alcoholism, the ties than bind families . I wanted to give this 5 stars since Kathryn Stockett does such an extraordinary job with characterization and I felt I knew all of these characters. However, I have to admit that this 650 + page book could have used some editing . One of the story threads at about the halfway point and beyond was just too drawn out. Having said that, there was not a time that I didn’t want to pick it up to know what happens to Meg and Birdie and others. Fifteen years after her first novel The Help, I found it worth the wait in spite of the drawn out middle .
I received a copy of this book from Spiegal and Grau through Edelweiss.
1933, Oxford Mississippi. Bearing the steamy heat and the burdens of the post depression, burdens that fall on them because life happens, we meet a cast of fully realized characters, the faces of strength and resilience in spite of it all. The story unfolds with alternating narratives of two of the main characters who took me into their hearts and souls from the minute I met them. Bright, precocious and funny, eleven year old Meg is an orphan at The Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. Her story of abandonment at nine, the physical and emotional abuse she suffers at the hands of the vile director of the orphanage was chilling. A ray of hope when her path crosses Birdie a smart, defiant, kind and also funny young woman trying to save her mamma and meemaw from dire circumstances and then her sister and her sister’s mother in law.
A winding plot with a lot of other characters covering multiple themes - the injustice and violation of sterilization against women deemed to be immoral and feeble minded, the horrible treatment of orphans, adultery, the stigma of homosexuality, alcoholism, the ties than bind families . I wanted to give this 5 stars since Kathryn Stockett does such an extraordinary job with characterization and I felt I knew all of these characters. However, I have to admit that this 650 + page book could have used some editing . One of the story threads at about the halfway point and beyond was just too drawn out. Having said that, there was not a time that I didn’t want to pick it up to know what happens to Meg and Birdie and others. Fifteen years after her first novel The Help, I found it worth the wait in spite of the drawn out middle .
I received a copy of this book from Spiegal and Grau through Edelweiss.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Calamity Club is Kathryn Stockett's second novel, set in 1933 Oxford, Mississippi, following her debut The Help. It's a historical fiction novel about a group of women—including a well-intentioned, church going Birdie Calhoun, some prominent socialites, a group of desperate prostitutes, and a charming, honest and innocent young orphan, whose lives intersect during the Great Depression as they form an unlikely sisterhood and take a dangerous risk to earn some desperately needed cash, right some wrongs, and for many of them, start a new life..
How many years have we had to wait for Kathryn Stockett to gift us with a new novel? TOO MANY! Let me tell you, THE CALAMITY CLUB has been worth the wait! I just finished reading an advanced reader's copy (thank you, NetGalley!), and I absolutely LOVED it. This story has quite a cast of interesting characters, some lovable and some not. Stockett gives us multiple protagonists and antagonists in this 650+ page novel. One of my favorite things is that the story is told from two different perspectives; Birdie Calhoun, and 11 year old Meg LeFleur, and we get to know so many different characters along the way. I only hope we won't have to wait so long for another novel by Kathryn Stockett, and I especially hope THE CALAMITY CLUB will be made into a movie as was THE HELP!
How many years have we had to wait for Kathryn Stockett to gift us with a new novel? TOO MANY! Let me tell you, THE CALAMITY CLUB has been worth the wait! I just finished reading an advanced reader's copy (thank you, NetGalley!), and I absolutely LOVED it. This story has quite a cast of interesting characters, some lovable and some not. Stockett gives us multiple protagonists and antagonists in this 650+ page novel. One of my favorite things is that the story is told from two different perspectives; Birdie Calhoun, and 11 year old Meg LeFleur, and we get to know so many different characters along the way. I only hope we won't have to wait so long for another novel by Kathryn Stockett, and I especially hope THE CALAMITY CLUB will be made into a movie as was THE HELP!
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June 28, 2025Pre-release:
I’m SO excited for this book to be released!!!!
I’m SO excited for this book to be released!!!!
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February 28, 2026It has been a long stretch between Sockett's first book and this, her sophomore effort. And the care with which she wrote it is evident throughout. She has managed to tell the story of female resilience in tough times using two distinct voices. Also, she has taken care with her research as evidenced in her author's notes. The only problem I had was with the length. At almost 700 pages, it was daunting, even as it was immersive. And the fact that it was presented as an electronic galley presented its own difficulty, that even at 600+ pages, the original font must have been on the small size adding to its bulk. However, I found it difficult to determine where cuts could be made since the elements were necessary to the story. Sockett has a tremendous knowledge of her home state, as well as a great love for it and all its challenges. She has fashioned a trip to the 1930's with its humidity soaked weather, pre air-conditioning, at a time when financial troubles were at their worst and created characters that make the reader want to know what happens when they reach the final page.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Set in 1930s Mississippi, this is an amazing story of a woman and an orphan girl who connect.
Birdie is often overlooked, the spinster sister from the back of beyond. She is a wonderfully rounded character who you can not but fall in love with.
Meg is an orphan who seems to be singled out by the manager of the orphanage. She has such spirit that you root for her to the end.
There are such wonderful side characters that it seems impossible for them to even be considered 'side characters'. Colourful, strong women are aplenty.
The Calamity Club is beautifully written and it will stay with me a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity of this ARC.
Birdie is often overlooked, the spinster sister from the back of beyond. She is a wonderfully rounded character who you can not but fall in love with.
Meg is an orphan who seems to be singled out by the manager of the orphanage. She has such spirit that you root for her to the end.
There are such wonderful side characters that it seems impossible for them to even be considered 'side characters'. Colourful, strong women are aplenty.
The Calamity Club is beautifully written and it will stay with me a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity of this ARC.
February 15, 2026
4.75 Docked a little for dragging on a smidge in e last third. But otherwise GREAT characters: women who would normally be counted our but are the heroines of the story. My favorite.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this novel by Kathryn Stockett and was keen to read The Calamity Club after enjoying her previous book, The Help. The Calamity Club is a compelling, immersive read that I couldn’t put down. I read this 600 + pager in just three days!
Set in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1933, during Prohibition and the Great Depression, the novel explores the financial struggles and constraints shaping the lives of its characters at a time when many families were barely surviving.
The story centres around Birdie, Frances, Mrs Tartt, Charlie, as well as Meg aged 11 who lives at the County Orphan Asylum, each battling in different ways to take control of their lives and futures. The characters are deeply believable, and I loved how the novel unfolds, with the meaning of the book title becoming clearer as the story progresses.
The novel explores themes of grief, love, female friendship, identity, and courage. It made me feel a wide range of emotions, and I was completely engaged and often moved.
The characters are well developed, the pacing felt just right, and the world is vividly described, making it easy to lose myself in the story.
I adored this book, and I thought the ending was fabulous; deeply satisfying and emotionally resonant. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I received a free advance review copy from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my honest review.
Set in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1933, during Prohibition and the Great Depression, the novel explores the financial struggles and constraints shaping the lives of its characters at a time when many families were barely surviving.
The story centres around Birdie, Frances, Mrs Tartt, Charlie, as well as Meg aged 11 who lives at the County Orphan Asylum, each battling in different ways to take control of their lives and futures. The characters are deeply believable, and I loved how the novel unfolds, with the meaning of the book title becoming clearer as the story progresses.
The novel explores themes of grief, love, female friendship, identity, and courage. It made me feel a wide range of emotions, and I was completely engaged and often moved.
The characters are well developed, the pacing felt just right, and the world is vividly described, making it easy to lose myself in the story.
I adored this book, and I thought the ending was fabulous; deeply satisfying and emotionally resonant. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I received a free advance review copy from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my honest review.
Currently reading
April 4, 2026*** 4/4/26 *** Just got approved by NetGalley to review this depression-era, female-centric historical fiction by the author of The Help! Kathryn Stockett's sophomore effort is a long one, which is not my forte, but I'm hoping the story, characters, and writing quality will make this a joy to read! Pub date May 5, 2026, so coming soon, and we can only hope to hear news of a movie option this year if it is as good as I expect it will be. Review coming soon!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5 stars
✨I’ve taken over a week letting my thoughts on this book settle before sharing them. At the end of the day, I both loved it and found parts of it deeply frustrating.
✨I've been waiting 17 years for Kathryn Stockett to write another book. While her first book THE HELP is a book with real and widely discussed issues, it was still a story I deeply enjoyed at the time. I was curious not only to see what she would write next, but also to see how her perspective might have evolved since then.
✨Let’s talk first about what I loved: The character-driven storytelling, the unstoppable women – and girl, the social commentary, the humor and that satisfying southern good vs evil tension. The character of Meg was an absolute standout, and I loved her story so much.
✨The biggest letdown for me? Phonetic dialogue. Again. There are so many other ways to build a character’s voice without altering spelling. It especially bothers me when white authors write Black characters’ dialogue phonetically because it can easily feel caricatured as it does for me in these pages. I was truly disappointed to see this, and it distracted heavily from my enjoyment of the book.
✨My other struggles with the book were its length which could have been trimmed by at least 200 pages and still told the same story. I was also thrown by the complete 180 halfway through the book with its unexpected, sordid and utterly unbelievable turn I wasn't expecting and didn't particularly enjoy.
✨In the end, I cheered. And cried. I closed the book feeling like the characters got the endings they deserved. I feel like this is a book worth reading especially if you love southern settings and stories of unbreakable women.
✨I’ve taken over a week letting my thoughts on this book settle before sharing them. At the end of the day, I both loved it and found parts of it deeply frustrating.
✨I've been waiting 17 years for Kathryn Stockett to write another book. While her first book THE HELP is a book with real and widely discussed issues, it was still a story I deeply enjoyed at the time. I was curious not only to see what she would write next, but also to see how her perspective might have evolved since then.
✨Let’s talk first about what I loved: The character-driven storytelling, the unstoppable women – and girl, the social commentary, the humor and that satisfying southern good vs evil tension. The character of Meg was an absolute standout, and I loved her story so much.
✨The biggest letdown for me? Phonetic dialogue. Again. There are so many other ways to build a character’s voice without altering spelling. It especially bothers me when white authors write Black characters’ dialogue phonetically because it can easily feel caricatured as it does for me in these pages. I was truly disappointed to see this, and it distracted heavily from my enjoyment of the book.
✨My other struggles with the book were its length which could have been trimmed by at least 200 pages and still told the same story. I was also thrown by the complete 180 halfway through the book with its unexpected, sordid and utterly unbelievable turn I wasn't expecting and didn't particularly enjoy.
✨In the end, I cheered. And cried. I closed the book feeling like the characters got the endings they deserved. I feel like this is a book worth reading especially if you love southern settings and stories of unbreakable women.
March 21, 2026
Wow! The characters are so thoughtfully and lovingly developed, the voice, pacing, tone, and the plot are all so wonderful! And I laughed out loud! Perfection. I already feel this is the best book of 2026…in March. I haven’t felt this excited about a book since All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. I can’t wait to force this into peoples hands 💜 I also couldn’t help but picture who would play my favorite characters in a TV series (please don’t narrow this story down to 90 mins) Pst: Amy Sedaris as Ruby please 😂
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you thank you to Spiegel & Grau for the gifted ARC.
THE HELP is one of the best books I've ever read and I have been waiting YEARS for this book and religiously checking the author's website and Goodreads for updates on her second novel. I was SO excited to get my hands on it and started reading the second I got it!
So much of what I loved about Kathryn's writing in THE HELP is clearly evident in this book as well. She has a gift for writing memorable characters and making you want to stay and hang out with them for a very long time. Even though this book was LONG, I still wasn't done with these characters and their journeys.
The beginning of this book started out SO well and I was loving every second of getting to know these characters. I was rooting for some of them and loathing others!
Then the book took a very strange and unexpected turn that is very spoilery, but it really soured the story for me. Not only did so much of it not seem believable or realistic, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story at all. It truly felt like starting a whole new book once I got to a certain part. Because of the strangeness of that part and the whole concept, I would struggle to recommend this one to a wide audience. It's not something I would generally care to read about and had I known what it was about going in, I probably would have sadly skipped it all together.
Even though I struggled with some of it, there was still so much to love, which is why I can still easily give it 4 stars because I do think the good ultimately outweighed the bad for me.
The ending was satisfying but I still wanted MORE. After spending 640 pages with these characters, I felt like the ending was a little rushed for how much everything led up to a certain moment.
I think this is going to be a massive hit regardless because of her previous success, but I think reviews will be very mixed.
THE HELP is one of the best books I've ever read and I have been waiting YEARS for this book and religiously checking the author's website and Goodreads for updates on her second novel. I was SO excited to get my hands on it and started reading the second I got it!
So much of what I loved about Kathryn's writing in THE HELP is clearly evident in this book as well. She has a gift for writing memorable characters and making you want to stay and hang out with them for a very long time. Even though this book was LONG, I still wasn't done with these characters and their journeys.
The beginning of this book started out SO well and I was loving every second of getting to know these characters. I was rooting for some of them and loathing others!
Then the book took a very strange and unexpected turn that is very spoilery, but it really soured the story for me. Not only did so much of it not seem believable or realistic, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story at all. It truly felt like starting a whole new book once I got to a certain part. Because of the strangeness of that part and the whole concept, I would struggle to recommend this one to a wide audience. It's not something I would generally care to read about and had I known what it was about going in, I probably would have sadly skipped it all together.
Even though I struggled with some of it, there was still so much to love, which is why I can still easily give it 4 stars because I do think the good ultimately outweighed the bad for me.
The ending was satisfying but I still wanted MORE. After spending 640 pages with these characters, I felt like the ending was a little rushed for how much everything led up to a certain moment.
I think this is going to be a massive hit regardless because of her previous success, but I think reviews will be very mixed.
January 27, 2026
I was so excited when I found out Kathryn Stockett was coming out with another novel! I loved The Help, and I see a lot of parallels between it and The Calamity Club. I think readers who enjoyed The Help will like this one as well. This story is told from two different perspectives, and I was invested in them both. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I was in it I kept wanting to pick it up and read more. 4 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a sprawling epic that could have been trimmed in spots, but overall was a good yarn. It's populated by sassy women like in The Help - women you want to root for, surrounded by men you mostly wanna hate. That card is played a little heavy handed, truth be told, but the ending is so very satisfying, it's easy to let that slide.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2026
Review of advanced copy received from publisher
The story follows an 11-year-old orphan and a band of women trying to regain control of their lives and survive in 1930s Mississippi during the Great Depression. It’s a story of unlikely bonds, female resilience, and friendship that brings out all the best emotions. Kathryn’s writing had me laughing, crying, absolutely fuming, and just longing for these ladies to succeed.
"It is a lot of sawing but let me tell you, rib eye steak is worth it"
I adored Meg, a sweet, quirky girl that was unintentionally hilarious. Her story is utterly heartbreaking, just recalling it is enough to have me tearing up. The book starts off centred around Meg & the Orphanage which connects all the unlikely characters. Some you will truly love & some you'll wish never existed in history. Each character is deeply fleshed-out leaving you to feel the desperation in their struggles.
"Tom still singing while he goes down"
Kathryn's writing has the power to break you with one line & her storytelling is very immersive, I stayed up till the early hours last night fully invested & unable to leave the last 100 pages till the next day. It's a chunky book at 640 pages, which can feel a little overwhelming, and I found the pacing a little slow at times but it quickly picked up again. Having said that, I feel every detail has its place, setting the scene to transport you to that era.
The story follows an 11-year-old orphan and a band of women trying to regain control of their lives and survive in 1930s Mississippi during the Great Depression. It’s a story of unlikely bonds, female resilience, and friendship that brings out all the best emotions. Kathryn’s writing had me laughing, crying, absolutely fuming, and just longing for these ladies to succeed.
"It is a lot of sawing but let me tell you, rib eye steak is worth it"
I adored Meg, a sweet, quirky girl that was unintentionally hilarious. Her story is utterly heartbreaking, just recalling it is enough to have me tearing up. The book starts off centred around Meg & the Orphanage which connects all the unlikely characters. Some you will truly love & some you'll wish never existed in history. Each character is deeply fleshed-out leaving you to feel the desperation in their struggles.
"Tom still singing while he goes down"
Kathryn's writing has the power to break you with one line & her storytelling is very immersive, I stayed up till the early hours last night fully invested & unable to leave the last 100 pages till the next day. It's a chunky book at 640 pages, which can feel a little overwhelming, and I found the pacing a little slow at times but it quickly picked up again. Having said that, I feel every detail has its place, setting the scene to transport you to that era.
March 19, 2026
I have been waiting for this author’s second book ever since I closed The Help about two decades ago. That book is one of my all-time favorites, and Skeeter is my most favorite book character of all time. So I was excited to get an early copy of this. Sadly, I do not recommend this book. I wish I could get all the hours I spent reading this back. I was really interested from the beginning and it wasn’t slow…until about the last 1/3. The book took a COMPLETELY unnecessary turn that was really unfortunate. At that point, in a nearly 700-page book, I wanted to see what happened. I knew there was next to no chance of redemption, but I finished it anyways. Ugh. I understand that these things likely happened because people were desperate, but…
***mild spoiler***
I am not typically a spoiler type of person, but I wish I would’ve known these ladies were going to open a brothel to save themselves. It was really disgusting and made for an unpleasant read. I just cannot recommend this. I’m sad I spent time reading this. It was way too long as well.
***mild spoiler***
I am not typically a spoiler type of person, but I wish I would’ve known these ladies were going to open a brothel to save themselves. It was really disgusting and made for an unpleasant read. I just cannot recommend this. I’m sad I spent time reading this. It was way too long as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2026
First I would like to thank NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for the ARC of this novel.
I was so excited to receive an early copy of Kathryn Stockett’s first book since The Help that I had to drive right in. This book is long at almost 700 pages it really goes in depth and tackles a bunch of issues from the 1930’s but the writing and the story still felt so similar to that wonderful feeling I had when reading The Help.
Since this book is so long it really gave us time to get to know these characters. You spend all of your time through the eyes of either Birdie or Meg but there are so many wonderful characters to grow to love through the book. Even after spending 650+ pages with them I still think I would have loved to see more about where they ended up in the future.
This book made me laugh out loud so many times, made me smile and it just warmed my heart. The themes of love, forgiveness, friendship, family, found family and the power of women were just so fantastic throughout the entire book.
I really don’t want to give too much away but I highly recommend this.
I think I will be rating this book 4.75/5 stars because at times in the middle it felt just a little slow but overall I loved it.
I was so excited to receive an early copy of Kathryn Stockett’s first book since The Help that I had to drive right in. This book is long at almost 700 pages it really goes in depth and tackles a bunch of issues from the 1930’s but the writing and the story still felt so similar to that wonderful feeling I had when reading The Help.
Since this book is so long it really gave us time to get to know these characters. You spend all of your time through the eyes of either Birdie or Meg but there are so many wonderful characters to grow to love through the book. Even after spending 650+ pages with them I still think I would have loved to see more about where they ended up in the future.
This book made me laugh out loud so many times, made me smile and it just warmed my heart. The themes of love, forgiveness, friendship, family, found family and the power of women were just so fantastic throughout the entire book.
I really don’t want to give too much away but I highly recommend this.
I think I will be rating this book 4.75/5 stars because at times in the middle it felt just a little slow but overall I loved it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
It's 1933 in Oxford Mississippi, and 11 year old Meg struggles to keep her hopes up and dignity intact as an unadoptable 'big girl' at the orphanage. Birdie arrives in Oxford from the Delta to ask her well-married younger sister Frances to help out their family farm, and is soon doing a few volunteer shifts at the orphanage along with her sister. She meets Meg and isstruck by Meg's intelligence, and the vendetta that the volunteer director has toward her, and wants to help her. Then Birdie meets Charlie, a woman down on her luck with nothing left to lose. As Charlie, Meg, and Birdie's fates converge, Charlie comes up with a plan to get everyone what they deserve. Propulsive and immersive, this is a story of unstoppable women and the power of friendship. I couldn't put it down.
November 29, 2025
This is the second book by the author of Help. It’s 1933 during prohibition and it’s hard times for everyone. Birding goes to Oxford MS to check in on her married sister and to ask for help for herself and her mother and grandmother. While fixing the books at the local orphanage, she meets .Meg, who’s having a rough time due to one of the women. Charlie comes looking for Meg, but Meg has been adopted. The story is broken into Birdie and Meg”s journeys during this time period.
December 9, 2025
Like The Help this is another character-driven novel. It is set in Oxford Mississippi during the Great Depression —a time when woman’s rights were challenged. Great cast of characters. Most of them will stay with me. Heartwarming and at times funny.
March 1, 2026
4+ The Calamity Club - Kathryn Stockett. An unlikely group hatch a plan for their mutual financial benefit in 1930s depression hit Mississippi.
Birdie Calhoun holds down a job as a book keeper in a local shop, the income a blessed relief to support her mother and grandmother but not enough to avoid potential financial ruin during the depression. The answer is to despatch Birdie to seek a loan from her sister who has married into a rich family and has gone radio silent. When Birdie shows up unannounced, the veneer of her sister’s life soon begins to slip.
At the local orphanage is Meg LeFleur. Apparently abandoned by her mother, she has the wrath of the head do-gooder.
Told over two stories, we follow Birdie and Meg, whose lives are intertwined albeit they don’t quite know how much. Joined by a wide cast of brilliant additional characters, The Calamity Club is an immersive read allowing the reader to get to know the protagonists, many of who provide laugh out loud moments. The multiple plot strands keep the reader engaged throughout and, at c. 700 pages keep the story moving along.
It’s 17 years since Kathryn Stockett’s only other book, The Help. I hugely enjoyed The Calamity Club, noting that some of the storyline walks a tightrope between being daring and a little grubby. As with others, I think it would benefit from a further edit to ratchet up the pace and flow.
Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for an ARC.
Birdie Calhoun holds down a job as a book keeper in a local shop, the income a blessed relief to support her mother and grandmother but not enough to avoid potential financial ruin during the depression. The answer is to despatch Birdie to seek a loan from her sister who has married into a rich family and has gone radio silent. When Birdie shows up unannounced, the veneer of her sister’s life soon begins to slip.
At the local orphanage is Meg LeFleur. Apparently abandoned by her mother, she has the wrath of the head do-gooder.
Told over two stories, we follow Birdie and Meg, whose lives are intertwined albeit they don’t quite know how much. Joined by a wide cast of brilliant additional characters, The Calamity Club is an immersive read allowing the reader to get to know the protagonists, many of who provide laugh out loud moments. The multiple plot strands keep the reader engaged throughout and, at c. 700 pages keep the story moving along.
It’s 17 years since Kathryn Stockett’s only other book, The Help. I hugely enjoyed The Calamity Club, noting that some of the storyline walks a tightrope between being daring and a little grubby. As with others, I think it would benefit from a further edit to ratchet up the pace and flow.
Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I host a Historical Fiction book club and when I saw that Kathryn Stockett has an upcoming new book, I was immediately interested.
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
I received an ARC from Netgalley (thank you!) and started it on a Saturday evening and proceeded to stay up until almost 4am reading as I couldn't put it down. I was immediately drawn into the setting and invested in the characters. Please note, this book is over 600pgs but I finished it in just 4 days.
The book takes place in the 1930s and has a dual narrative. It follows Birdie, a twenty-something book keeper who lives in her family home with her always worrying mother and sassy grandmother. Her father has died and times are rough. When they realize they are behind in their taxes for the home, they decide that Birdie should travel to Oxford, MS. and enlist her recently married younger sister for help. Things don't go as planned and Birdie ends up staying far longer than she anticipated. The longer she stays, the more involved she becomes in the lives of her sister, her sister's in laws and many other characters along the way.
The second narrator is 11 year old Meg. She's residing at the local orphanage after her mother suddenly disappeared. Meg's life at the orphanage is ghastly and when her only friend is sent away to a cannery for work, she has to take her future into her own hands.
This story is full of such great characters, with so much personality that it endears you to each and every one. The second half of the book takes a fun and unexpected twist and was so much fun to read. Really shows you what people were willing to do during the 1930s to get by and really makes you feel the desperation and sudden misfortune that hit so many individuals. I don't want to give anything away but the ending wraps up well and dare I say it, I cried at the last page.
Thank you again NetGalley for the chance to read this. It will definitely be one of our book club picks this summer.
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
I received an ARC from Netgalley (thank you!) and started it on a Saturday evening and proceeded to stay up until almost 4am reading as I couldn't put it down. I was immediately drawn into the setting and invested in the characters. Please note, this book is over 600pgs but I finished it in just 4 days.
The book takes place in the 1930s and has a dual narrative. It follows Birdie, a twenty-something book keeper who lives in her family home with her always worrying mother and sassy grandmother. Her father has died and times are rough. When they realize they are behind in their taxes for the home, they decide that Birdie should travel to Oxford, MS. and enlist her recently married younger sister for help. Things don't go as planned and Birdie ends up staying far longer than she anticipated. The longer she stays, the more involved she becomes in the lives of her sister, her sister's in laws and many other characters along the way.
The second narrator is 11 year old Meg. She's residing at the local orphanage after her mother suddenly disappeared. Meg's life at the orphanage is ghastly and when her only friend is sent away to a cannery for work, she has to take her future into her own hands.
This story is full of such great characters, with so much personality that it endears you to each and every one. The second half of the book takes a fun and unexpected twist and was so much fun to read. Really shows you what people were willing to do during the 1930s to get by and really makes you feel the desperation and sudden misfortune that hit so many individuals. I don't want to give anything away but the ending wraps up well and dare I say it, I cried at the last page.
Thank you again NetGalley for the chance to read this. It will definitely be one of our book club picks this summer.
December 22, 2025
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau.
You read this book from the eyes of two main characters - 11-year-old Meg, who was abandoned and sent to an orphanage where she is treated more harshly than other orphaned girls and Birdie Calhoun, outspoken, single, daughter and sister who is trying to care for her mother and grandmother. Their stories intertwine when Birdie visits her sister who volunteers at the orphanage.
This is a story of female persistence, strength, and grit in a time when women and girls were told they weren't supposed to possess those traits. It gives readers a glimpse into the time after the Great Depression in 1933. It's sisterhood. It's blood family and found family. It's closed minds and what it takes to fight those in power when some are "different" than others.
Very well done.
You read this book from the eyes of two main characters - 11-year-old Meg, who was abandoned and sent to an orphanage where she is treated more harshly than other orphaned girls and Birdie Calhoun, outspoken, single, daughter and sister who is trying to care for her mother and grandmother. Their stories intertwine when Birdie visits her sister who volunteers at the orphanage.
This is a story of female persistence, strength, and grit in a time when women and girls were told they weren't supposed to possess those traits. It gives readers a glimpse into the time after the Great Depression in 1933. It's sisterhood. It's blood family and found family. It's closed minds and what it takes to fight those in power when some are "different" than others.
Very well done.
February 21, 2026
Loved this fabulous book
This is a book set at the time the Great depression in America following the lives of two girls one and orphan and the other a young woman from a working class background, whose lives become intertwined as circumstances put them together
Think Annie mixed with grapes of wrath
This is a long novel, but I was delighted that it didn’t run out too soon it was well worth the time I spent with it i’m using someone who reads a novel in a day. This took me four days and I enjoyed every minute of it.
The author has a beautiful lyrical flowing writing style, which is an absolute pleasure to read
The setting in the Mississippi area of America geographically and in the time of the Great depression makes this a very interesting and atmospheric novel you can almost feel the heat coming off the countryside as you read
The characterisation of her main characters are detailed, precise and and you feel that you know both the two main characters and a number of other more minor characters very well by the end of the novel
Without giving too much away it’s difficult to say any more about what happens in the novel suffice it to say that female solidarity is Central to the book at all stages and the hypocrisy of a male led society at that time becomes very clear
I would recommend the novel for anyone who enjoys a primarily character based novel, particularly if you enjoy historical elements
I enjoyed the first chapter it really made me want to read more
This book really would make a fabulous film setting and the descriptions are at times really cinematic and I could see clearly in my mind
Until I’d finished reading the novel I was unaware that this is the author’s second novel her first novel. The Help was spectacularly successful and was made into a film. I suspect exactly the same will happen with this novel. It’s going to do very well once it’s published.
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK book is published in the United Kingdom on the 20th of May 2026 by Penguin general UK
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, Anne And my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.
This is a book set at the time the Great depression in America following the lives of two girls one and orphan and the other a young woman from a working class background, whose lives become intertwined as circumstances put them together
Think Annie mixed with grapes of wrath
This is a long novel, but I was delighted that it didn’t run out too soon it was well worth the time I spent with it i’m using someone who reads a novel in a day. This took me four days and I enjoyed every minute of it.
The author has a beautiful lyrical flowing writing style, which is an absolute pleasure to read
The setting in the Mississippi area of America geographically and in the time of the Great depression makes this a very interesting and atmospheric novel you can almost feel the heat coming off the countryside as you read
The characterisation of her main characters are detailed, precise and and you feel that you know both the two main characters and a number of other more minor characters very well by the end of the novel
Without giving too much away it’s difficult to say any more about what happens in the novel suffice it to say that female solidarity is Central to the book at all stages and the hypocrisy of a male led society at that time becomes very clear
I would recommend the novel for anyone who enjoys a primarily character based novel, particularly if you enjoy historical elements
I enjoyed the first chapter it really made me want to read more
This book really would make a fabulous film setting and the descriptions are at times really cinematic and I could see clearly in my mind
Until I’d finished reading the novel I was unaware that this is the author’s second novel her first novel. The Help was spectacularly successful and was made into a film. I suspect exactly the same will happen with this novel. It’s going to do very well once it’s published.
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK book is published in the United Kingdom on the 20th of May 2026 by Penguin general UK
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, Anne And my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was so excited to receive this ARC by the author of 2008's best seller, The Help. Like The Help, Kathryn Stockett sets her second novel in the deep South, this time Oxford, MS. Also, like in The Help, her new one, The Calamity Club, centers around strong, outspoken women trying to right wrongs dealt to people in an oppressive 1930s Southern society.
The book is told in dual perspectives. First, by Meg, an intelligent, inquisitive 11-year-old orphan who wound up at a dreadful orphanage in Oxford (and who is the nemesis and target of the authority figure's wrath). Garnett, the woman who is in charge, plays out to be a well hated antagonist. Our other voice is Birdie, older sister to Frances, who is unmarried and has chosen to stay in Foote to help her mama and mammaw.
The story opens when Birdie travels to Oxford from Foote to try to secure money for herself, her mama, and mammaw so their house won't be foreclosed on due to back taxes. After all, younger sister, Frances, married into the prestigious Tartt family in Oxford, and her husband, Rory, is a successful banker. Meanwhile, the remaining family in Foote is in dire straits after the loss of their husband and father. We soon find out, however, that there is so much more going on in Oxford than meets the eye.
Birdie meets Meg at the orphanage as sister Francis volunteers there several days a week (to give a boost to her own social climbing). Birdie is really taken with Meg because of her wit and resilience, but Meg will soon be shipped off to a cannery to begin her work program.
The wheels really start falling off as Rory, Francis' husband, is not at all who they thought. He has lost his job weeks ago, robs his own family, and runs away and abandons his wife. Wife Francis and Mrs. Tartt, who lives with them in the Tartt mansion, take off to try to find him. I found Mrs. Tartt to be a delightful character. In fact, she turned out to be one of my favorites.
What ensues after the two women take off is definitely the crux of the story. Some of the things we are treated to - extreme racism; lessons in economics about the Great Depression; prohibition; houses of ill repute; and mostly, delightfully, colorful characters.
This is a story of resiliency, friendship, oppression, and scraping and fighting just to survive. It's about endurance, both physical and mental. It's a story about those who will pull you up by your boot straps and those who will stomp on you when you're down.
I found the story to be so engrossing. Reading this book is going to be a commitment because it is 650+ pages, but I found it to be well worth it. I love historical fiction and strong women characters, and this book actually had parts in it that reminded me of two previous historical fiction ones that have been two of my favorites. Because of the orphanage and adoption, it brought up memories of Before We Were Yours (2017 by Lisa Wingate). Because of the house as the main setting - the Tartt mansion - and the robust, funny, but vulnerable women characters, it reminded me of Kate Quinn's, The Briar Club, even though the time period is two and a half decades apart.
For lovers of historical fiction, Southern fiction, and tenacious female characters, definitely look for Kathryn Stockett's new one, The Calamity Club, which hits shelves May 5, 2026. Thank you, NetGalley and Spiegel Grau, for the opportunity to preview this delightful story. 4.5 stars
The book is told in dual perspectives. First, by Meg, an intelligent, inquisitive 11-year-old orphan who wound up at a dreadful orphanage in Oxford (and who is the nemesis and target of the authority figure's wrath). Garnett, the woman who is in charge, plays out to be a well hated antagonist. Our other voice is Birdie, older sister to Frances, who is unmarried and has chosen to stay in Foote to help her mama and mammaw.
The story opens when Birdie travels to Oxford from Foote to try to secure money for herself, her mama, and mammaw so their house won't be foreclosed on due to back taxes. After all, younger sister, Frances, married into the prestigious Tartt family in Oxford, and her husband, Rory, is a successful banker. Meanwhile, the remaining family in Foote is in dire straits after the loss of their husband and father. We soon find out, however, that there is so much more going on in Oxford than meets the eye.
Birdie meets Meg at the orphanage as sister Francis volunteers there several days a week (to give a boost to her own social climbing). Birdie is really taken with Meg because of her wit and resilience, but Meg will soon be shipped off to a cannery to begin her work program.
The wheels really start falling off as Rory, Francis' husband, is not at all who they thought. He has lost his job weeks ago, robs his own family, and runs away and abandons his wife. Wife Francis and Mrs. Tartt, who lives with them in the Tartt mansion, take off to try to find him. I found Mrs. Tartt to be a delightful character. In fact, she turned out to be one of my favorites.
What ensues after the two women take off is definitely the crux of the story. Some of the things we are treated to - extreme racism; lessons in economics about the Great Depression; prohibition; houses of ill repute; and mostly, delightfully, colorful characters.
This is a story of resiliency, friendship, oppression, and scraping and fighting just to survive. It's about endurance, both physical and mental. It's a story about those who will pull you up by your boot straps and those who will stomp on you when you're down.
I found the story to be so engrossing. Reading this book is going to be a commitment because it is 650+ pages, but I found it to be well worth it. I love historical fiction and strong women characters, and this book actually had parts in it that reminded me of two previous historical fiction ones that have been two of my favorites. Because of the orphanage and adoption, it brought up memories of Before We Were Yours (2017 by Lisa Wingate). Because of the house as the main setting - the Tartt mansion - and the robust, funny, but vulnerable women characters, it reminded me of Kate Quinn's, The Briar Club, even though the time period is two and a half decades apart.
For lovers of historical fiction, Southern fiction, and tenacious female characters, definitely look for Kathryn Stockett's new one, The Calamity Club, which hits shelves May 5, 2026. Thank you, NetGalley and Spiegel Grau, for the opportunity to preview this delightful story. 4.5 stars
Review of advance copy
A l'été 1933, Birdie doit quitter Footely - comté de Warren, dans le Delta - pour se rendre à Oxford, proche de Jackson ; Mississipi. Son objectif est de quémander de l'argent à sa soeur, Frances. Cette dernière est mariée à un riche banquier qui pourrait aider Birdie, sa mère et sa meemaw à payer leurs impôts. Suite au krach de 1929, la grande dépression fait rage en Amérique du Nord et toutes les tranches de la population en subissent les répercussions, quels que soient leurs niveaux de richesse.
Birdie découvre le quotidien de sa soeur cadette, navigant entre shopping en oeuvres de "charité". Au détour d'une mission à l'orphelinat de jeunes filles du comté de Lafayette, Birdie rencontre Meg, une jeune fille de onze ans, vive et intelligente, malmenée par la méchante Garnett. Birdie vient en aide à la pauvre enfant, abandonnée par sa mère, pour améliorer ses lamentables conditions de vie.
Malgré des difficultés personnelles et techniques (.pdf...) qui auraient pu entraver mon plaisir, j'ai sincèrement et énormément apprécié cette lecture ! Je me suis immédiatement attachée aux héroïnes ! Birdie et Meg, loin d'être "ordinaires", partagent un goût prononcé pour la liberté et un dégoût assumé pour toutes formes d'injustices. Victimes de la bêtise humaine comme de la pauvreté, elles s'évertuent à faire de leur mieux pour améliorer leur quotidien et celui de leurs comparses. Elles tentent, chacune à leur manière, de retrouver ou maintenir un semblant d'équilibre familial dans l'adversité. Elles partagent aussi une certaine forme de candeur et d'espièglerie tout à fait délectables !
Parmi les nombreux termes abordés dans Le Calamity Club, je retiendrai surtout l'esprit de sororité, le féminisme, l'importance des liens familiaux dans la construction de soi, l'idéal de stabilité sociale dont les femmes avaient tant besoin dans les années 1930 pour s'épanouir... et la lutte acharnée qu'il a fallu mener pour accèder à certains droits civiques (pour les personnes de couleur et pour les femmes, quel que soit la teinte de leur peau...). Voici le genre de roman qui rappelle à bon escient que ces luttes doivent perdurer pour maintenir un certain équilibre et une certaine justice dans le traitement des membres du genre humain !
Du point de vue littéraire, j'étais ravie de retrouver la plume vive et pétulante de Kathryn Stockett, dont j'avais tant aimé La couleur des sentiments ! Même si certains aspects rappellent ce précédent ouvrage (le rythme - la cadence même ! - la narration au "Je" partagée par les personnages, le féminisme...) : on est très loin de la redite ou de la bonne recette réutilisée ! Au contraire, l'autrice a franchi un pas vers une narration encore plus travaillée, un style un peu plus nourri, des rebondissements aussi suprenants qu'émouvants... et quelques scènes rocambolesques qui valent leur pesant d'impertinente pertinence !!!
Bref : je suis heureuse d'avoir pu découvrir en avant-première un roman aussi bien écrit, aussi captivant, peuplé d'héroïnes aussi courageuses qu'intelligentes ! Merci à Babelio et aux éditions Robert Laffont pour cette merveilleuse lecture et celle belle rencontre (en visio) avec l'autrice <3 !
Birdie découvre le quotidien de sa soeur cadette, navigant entre shopping en oeuvres de "charité". Au détour d'une mission à l'orphelinat de jeunes filles du comté de Lafayette, Birdie rencontre Meg, une jeune fille de onze ans, vive et intelligente, malmenée par la méchante Garnett. Birdie vient en aide à la pauvre enfant, abandonnée par sa mère, pour améliorer ses lamentables conditions de vie.
Malgré des difficultés personnelles et techniques (.pdf...) qui auraient pu entraver mon plaisir, j'ai sincèrement et énormément apprécié cette lecture ! Je me suis immédiatement attachée aux héroïnes ! Birdie et Meg, loin d'être "ordinaires", partagent un goût prononcé pour la liberté et un dégoût assumé pour toutes formes d'injustices. Victimes de la bêtise humaine comme de la pauvreté, elles s'évertuent à faire de leur mieux pour améliorer leur quotidien et celui de leurs comparses. Elles tentent, chacune à leur manière, de retrouver ou maintenir un semblant d'équilibre familial dans l'adversité. Elles partagent aussi une certaine forme de candeur et d'espièglerie tout à fait délectables !
Parmi les nombreux termes abordés dans Le Calamity Club, je retiendrai surtout l'esprit de sororité, le féminisme, l'importance des liens familiaux dans la construction de soi, l'idéal de stabilité sociale dont les femmes avaient tant besoin dans les années 1930 pour s'épanouir... et la lutte acharnée qu'il a fallu mener pour accèder à certains droits civiques (pour les personnes de couleur et pour les femmes, quel que soit la teinte de leur peau...). Voici le genre de roman qui rappelle à bon escient que ces luttes doivent perdurer pour maintenir un certain équilibre et une certaine justice dans le traitement des membres du genre humain !
Du point de vue littéraire, j'étais ravie de retrouver la plume vive et pétulante de Kathryn Stockett, dont j'avais tant aimé La couleur des sentiments ! Même si certains aspects rappellent ce précédent ouvrage (le rythme - la cadence même ! - la narration au "Je" partagée par les personnages, le féminisme...) : on est très loin de la redite ou de la bonne recette réutilisée ! Au contraire, l'autrice a franchi un pas vers une narration encore plus travaillée, un style un peu plus nourri, des rebondissements aussi suprenants qu'émouvants... et quelques scènes rocambolesques qui valent leur pesant d'impertinente pertinence !!!
Bref : je suis heureuse d'avoir pu découvrir en avant-première un roman aussi bien écrit, aussi captivant, peuplé d'héroïnes aussi courageuses qu'intelligentes ! Merci à Babelio et aux éditions Robert Laffont pour cette merveilleuse lecture et celle belle rencontre (en visio) avec l'autrice <3 !
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It was 1933 and everyone was falling on hard times. Meg was a young girl of 11-two years ago her single mother went to the grocery store and never returned. After she was found starving in her house she was taken to "Orphan," the Oxford Mississippi Orphanage. The conditions were harsh for the unadopted older girls, the director singled Meg out for abuse, and on her twelfth birthday she would be sent to a cannery to work. She was a bright, intelligent girl, but was not allowed to attend the orphanage school as the director felt that she was too feeble-minded for anything other than being sequestered in a moldy office all day. Her future was grim.
Birdy, a twenty-four-year-old bookkeeper, worked in a general store in a small delta town. She lived with her mother and grandmother, and they barely got by with her salary and a yearly annuity for her deceased father's war service. Birdey was destined to stay home and take care of her family because she was the oldest and too plain to attract a husband, unlike her sister Frances who was beautiful and always putting on airs. Petted and indulged, her looks and charm school education netted her a rich husband in Oxford, and they lived in his mother's house. Frances didn't bother to invite her family to the wedding, and now they haven't heard from her in months. Their mother finally ordered Birdy to visit Frances and ask her for some money to pay the lien on their house, or the bank would foreclose and evict them, as it has been doing to their neighbors.
When Birdy confronted Frances, her sister wasn’t at all pleased. Birdy absolutely didn’t fit into her new lifestyle, and she had no desire to allow Birdy to get in the way of her social climbing, especially when she was this close to getting a position on the senior board of the orphanage. She agreed to ask her husband Rory for the money but only after her birthday, which was a few weeks away. Birdy was bored and Frances figured she could have her sister do some bookkeeping for the orphanage-she could get her out of the house and score some points with the director at the same time. When Birdy worked in the small office, she met Meg and couldn’t understand why the girl had to stay there, and why the director treated her so poorly. A few days after Frances had her birthday, her mother-in-law was robbed of her silver, jewelry and everything of value-and Rory never returned home.
Everyone remembers Stockett’s novel The Help or at least has seen the movie. It has been seventeen years since she wrote that book and this one is well worth the wait. The dual narrated story is totally engrossing, and the over six hundred pages will fly by. I can’t give more away but I can promise that as you join the plucky and enterprising women of the Calamity Club you will be rooting for them as hard as I was.
Birdy, a twenty-four-year-old bookkeeper, worked in a general store in a small delta town. She lived with her mother and grandmother, and they barely got by with her salary and a yearly annuity for her deceased father's war service. Birdey was destined to stay home and take care of her family because she was the oldest and too plain to attract a husband, unlike her sister Frances who was beautiful and always putting on airs. Petted and indulged, her looks and charm school education netted her a rich husband in Oxford, and they lived in his mother's house. Frances didn't bother to invite her family to the wedding, and now they haven't heard from her in months. Their mother finally ordered Birdy to visit Frances and ask her for some money to pay the lien on their house, or the bank would foreclose and evict them, as it has been doing to their neighbors.
When Birdy confronted Frances, her sister wasn’t at all pleased. Birdy absolutely didn’t fit into her new lifestyle, and she had no desire to allow Birdy to get in the way of her social climbing, especially when she was this close to getting a position on the senior board of the orphanage. She agreed to ask her husband Rory for the money but only after her birthday, which was a few weeks away. Birdy was bored and Frances figured she could have her sister do some bookkeeping for the orphanage-she could get her out of the house and score some points with the director at the same time. When Birdy worked in the small office, she met Meg and couldn’t understand why the girl had to stay there, and why the director treated her so poorly. A few days after Frances had her birthday, her mother-in-law was robbed of her silver, jewelry and everything of value-and Rory never returned home.
Everyone remembers Stockett’s novel The Help or at least has seen the movie. It has been seventeen years since she wrote that book and this one is well worth the wait. The dual narrated story is totally engrossing, and the over six hundred pages will fly by. I can’t give more away but I can promise that as you join the plucky and enterprising women of the Calamity Club you will be rooting for them as hard as I was.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Spiegel & Grau for my #gifted copy of The Calamity Club! #SpiegelandGrau #TheCalamityClub #KathrynStockett
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝟱★
Kathryn Stockett has done it again. After seventeen years, The Calamity Club was more than worth the wait! With her signature blend of humor and heart, Stockett delivers the story of a group of women who will do whatever it takes to fight for what’s theirs. At its core, this novel is a powerful celebration of resilience and found family. I completely fell in love with these characters: their strength, their loyalty, and the way they show up for one another makes this story both unforgettable and deeply moving.
Meg is an eleven-year-old orphan at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, labeled “unadaptable” and kept apart from the other girls under the watchful eye of Miss Garnett. Isolated and treated differently, Meg’s world begins to shift when she forms an unexpected connection with Birdie, who is in Oxford visiting her sister, Frances. Birdie initially plans to stay only briefly, hoping to ask Frances and her husband for financial help for her struggling family back home, but life has other plans.
After Meg is adopted, Birdie meets Charlie, a woman in need of help, and what begins as chance encounters slowly unfolds into an unlikely and powerful friendship. Together, they set bold plans in motion to support a group of women determined to take control of their own futures. The stakes are high, but there is no stopping a group of resolute women who refuse to back down.
Stockett tackles several difficult topics in this novel, and it’s nearly impossible to discuss them fully without giving too much away. What stands out most is the depth of her research and the care she takes in portraying these complex issues. Even in the heaviest moments, her signature humor shines through at just the right time, creating a perfect balance of heart and levity.
I quite literally hugged this book after turning the final page. Thank you, Kathryn Stockett, for this unforgettable story. It was absolutely worth the wait. It made me smile, cry, and laugh. It broke my heart and then put it back together again. I’m already calling it my top book of the year.
📖Found Family
📖Humor & Heart
📖Bravery
📖Friendship
📖Strong Women
📖Resilience
📖Dual POV
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍-𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍. 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍, 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢? (𝙿𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝟼𝟷𝟿)
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝟱★
Kathryn Stockett has done it again. After seventeen years, The Calamity Club was more than worth the wait! With her signature blend of humor and heart, Stockett delivers the story of a group of women who will do whatever it takes to fight for what’s theirs. At its core, this novel is a powerful celebration of resilience and found family. I completely fell in love with these characters: their strength, their loyalty, and the way they show up for one another makes this story both unforgettable and deeply moving.
Meg is an eleven-year-old orphan at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, labeled “unadaptable” and kept apart from the other girls under the watchful eye of Miss Garnett. Isolated and treated differently, Meg’s world begins to shift when she forms an unexpected connection with Birdie, who is in Oxford visiting her sister, Frances. Birdie initially plans to stay only briefly, hoping to ask Frances and her husband for financial help for her struggling family back home, but life has other plans.
After Meg is adopted, Birdie meets Charlie, a woman in need of help, and what begins as chance encounters slowly unfolds into an unlikely and powerful friendship. Together, they set bold plans in motion to support a group of women determined to take control of their own futures. The stakes are high, but there is no stopping a group of resolute women who refuse to back down.
Stockett tackles several difficult topics in this novel, and it’s nearly impossible to discuss them fully without giving too much away. What stands out most is the depth of her research and the care she takes in portraying these complex issues. Even in the heaviest moments, her signature humor shines through at just the right time, creating a perfect balance of heart and levity.
I quite literally hugged this book after turning the final page. Thank you, Kathryn Stockett, for this unforgettable story. It was absolutely worth the wait. It made me smile, cry, and laugh. It broke my heart and then put it back together again. I’m already calling it my top book of the year.
📖Found Family
📖Humor & Heart
📖Bravery
📖Friendship
📖Strong Women
📖Resilience
📖Dual POV
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍-𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍. 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍, 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢? (𝙿𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝟼𝟷𝟿)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It’s the 1930’s, and Birdie Calhoun lives with her mother and grandmother in the speck of a town, Footely, Mississippi. They are in debt to most stores in the neighborhood, are growing steadily behind on their mortgage and watch in fear as wealthier neighbors are kicked out of their homes. Birdie’s younger sister married into a rich banking family in Oxford, Mississippi (the Calhoun were not even invited to the wedding), but lacking options Birdie desperately boards the train to Oxford to try and round up badly needed cash from her little sister.
Margot Louise, called Meg, or even Nutmeg, was dropped off at The Lafayette County Orphan Asylum at nine years old. Like many of the girls, she remains convinced her mother’s return is eminent and her placement is all a big misunderstanding. After two years of disappointment and horrendous treatment, now she dreams of a future with any family.
Silky Southern prose butters the opening pages of The Calamity Club and in no time we are engrossed in the lives of Birdie, Meg and dozens of other intriguing characters. The period and setting are rolled out with beautiful historical tone, and other than knowing that Birdie and Meg eventually cross paths, there are so many early surprises that detailed summaries should be avoided.
A reader can approach with the expectations of deep and unlikely female friendship, a gripping family drama guaranteed to elicit cheers and tears, but it's impossible to prepare for how The Calamity Club performs as a masterclass in plotting. The primary story moves like a huge ship, the subplots lifeboats intermittently lowered off the side, and they all reach their intended destination by gracefully gliding ashore. We are in the hands of an author in complete control over character voice and wider narrative. Meg speaks and acts like a brave eleven-year-old orphan, Birdie is a careful, precocious, young woman of the time, and their perspective of the world is both genuine and distinct.
Likely a well-deserved hit which will please many readers, whether you were one of the millions of fans of The Help or not, this wonderful experience comes highly recommended. A novel nearing 700 pages without a single dull page or sagging scene is incredible.
Thanks to Edelweiss+, NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a review copy.
Margot Louise, called Meg, or even Nutmeg, was dropped off at The Lafayette County Orphan Asylum at nine years old. Like many of the girls, she remains convinced her mother’s return is eminent and her placement is all a big misunderstanding. After two years of disappointment and horrendous treatment, now she dreams of a future with any family.
Silky Southern prose butters the opening pages of The Calamity Club and in no time we are engrossed in the lives of Birdie, Meg and dozens of other intriguing characters. The period and setting are rolled out with beautiful historical tone, and other than knowing that Birdie and Meg eventually cross paths, there are so many early surprises that detailed summaries should be avoided.
A reader can approach with the expectations of deep and unlikely female friendship, a gripping family drama guaranteed to elicit cheers and tears, but it's impossible to prepare for how The Calamity Club performs as a masterclass in plotting. The primary story moves like a huge ship, the subplots lifeboats intermittently lowered off the side, and they all reach their intended destination by gracefully gliding ashore. We are in the hands of an author in complete control over character voice and wider narrative. Meg speaks and acts like a brave eleven-year-old orphan, Birdie is a careful, precocious, young woman of the time, and their perspective of the world is both genuine and distinct.
Likely a well-deserved hit which will please many readers, whether you were one of the millions of fans of The Help or not, this wonderful experience comes highly recommended. A novel nearing 700 pages without a single dull page or sagging scene is incredible.
Thanks to Edelweiss+, NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Completing The Calamity Club (given to me by Penguin General UK, Fig Tree and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review) did, in some ways, feel like a homecoming.
It must have been over a decade and a half ago that I was left enthralled by The Help - partly because it was about the deep south, somewhere I've always been fascinated by, partly because of its crackling dialogue and partly because of the sadness of the whole thing.
Stockett finds rich, fertile soil in this 1930s exploration of Mississippi, when the state was dry and depressed. A bit like the stories of Gypsy or The Full Monty, Stockett explores how normal people bend the rules to survive under enormous pressure.
It's a long doorstopper of a novel, too. We have two protagonists who are interlinked. Birdie, a woman who lives for obligation and Meg, an 11 year old who is suffering in silence in the Orphanage. A bit like The Help, the villain of the story is a good 'un, by which I mean a bad 'un and, when her motives for why she's so mean are revealed, it still doesn't make you want to sympathise with her.
So, to tempt you to read this engaging novel, Birdie has to visit her sister, who's married well, to ask for money. She feels like the poor relation, which she is, and gets a gig as a bookkeeper in the orphanage in which Meg is wilting amidst the cruel authority of Garnett, who replaces the more Christian Faye. Birdie is staying with her sister, Frances, Frances' husband, Rory and Mrs. Tartt, his mother, as well as communicating regularly with the help, Picador and Polly, who still play an important part in the ensemble. Something happens which means that Birdie has to find a solution before poverty strikes.
Meg, on the other hands is looking for someone to save her from the orphanage. She also longs for her mum to come get her as she left and never returned...
Spoiler-free, the author writes dialogue with snap, crackle, pop; however, the story I found a little bit sordid in parts, which dampened my enjoyment of reading this. It's a great period piece, however, and bits of the story are fairly heart-rending. Stockett is a storytelling that naturally imbues her characters with real problems that require principled action and courage and bravery, which is why I'm erring towards 4 for my final score.
It must have been over a decade and a half ago that I was left enthralled by The Help - partly because it was about the deep south, somewhere I've always been fascinated by, partly because of its crackling dialogue and partly because of the sadness of the whole thing.
Stockett finds rich, fertile soil in this 1930s exploration of Mississippi, when the state was dry and depressed. A bit like the stories of Gypsy or The Full Monty, Stockett explores how normal people bend the rules to survive under enormous pressure.
It's a long doorstopper of a novel, too. We have two protagonists who are interlinked. Birdie, a woman who lives for obligation and Meg, an 11 year old who is suffering in silence in the Orphanage. A bit like The Help, the villain of the story is a good 'un, by which I mean a bad 'un and, when her motives for why she's so mean are revealed, it still doesn't make you want to sympathise with her.
So, to tempt you to read this engaging novel, Birdie has to visit her sister, who's married well, to ask for money. She feels like the poor relation, which she is, and gets a gig as a bookkeeper in the orphanage in which Meg is wilting amidst the cruel authority of Garnett, who replaces the more Christian Faye. Birdie is staying with her sister, Frances, Frances' husband, Rory and Mrs. Tartt, his mother, as well as communicating regularly with the help, Picador and Polly, who still play an important part in the ensemble. Something happens which means that Birdie has to find a solution before poverty strikes.
Meg, on the other hands is looking for someone to save her from the orphanage. She also longs for her mum to come get her as she left and never returned...
Spoiler-free, the author writes dialogue with snap, crackle, pop; however, the story I found a little bit sordid in parts, which dampened my enjoyment of reading this. It's a great period piece, however, and bits of the story are fairly heart-rending. Stockett is a storytelling that naturally imbues her characters with real problems that require principled action and courage and bravery, which is why I'm erring towards 4 for my final score.
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