The Calamity Club - Kathryn Stockett

The Calamity Club

By Kathryn Stockett

  • Release Date: 2026-05-05
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,256 Ratings

Description

“So immersive, exciting, and downright fabulous, you never want it to end.”—Oprah Daily

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * 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.

“Pure, hell-raising entertainment.”—The New York Times Book Review

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 for them to take control of their lives. 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.

Reviews

  • I am not deferential and I am smart

    5
    By QUICKDRAW4
    Unknown history of women. Forced sterilization, due to promiscuity, imbecility. Asylums had women who did not want to play piano or get married and had painful menstruations and were not deferent.
  • Calamity Club

    5
    By YayaNetski
    I really enjoyed this book once I go into it. The 2 narrators Birdie and Meg are fascinating strong female characters. Their intertwined relationships are filled with intrigue and compassion. The supporting characters Francis, Charlie , Lucille and Tom, Mrs Taite and the ‘working girls’ are all interesting in their own right. It takes place in Mississippi during the Depression and shows what people can be willing to do to survive.
  • THE CALAMITY CLUB

    2
    By zoesampoochie
    Bogs down, seriously boring characters. Same theme as in The Help. Don’t waste your money or time.
  • Absolutely SPLENDID!!

    5
    By AnnieJBonz
    I fell in love with the characters (ok, maybe not Garnett!) and was sad for this book to end. Am left wondering how their lives unfolded after The Club folded. Great read!
  • Best book I have read in a long time

    5
    By MrsLevel
    This book was nearly impossible to put down. I loved it
  • The Calamity Club

    5
    By Hugebass
    One of the best books I have read in a long time! Loved it.
  • Great book!

    5
    By Debbie Farish
    I enjoyed this book more than any book that I have read in a long time. I hope there is another one to look forward to. It was exceptional.
  • Good but odd pace

    3
    By LP2007
    Loved parts of it but other times just rambled on and then came to an abrupt end
  • Grabs you from the very beginning

    5
    By we12970@
    I could not put this book down. I was disappointed for a second upon discovering the calamity, wondering if it would ruin the book for me , but it didn’t. The story is gripping and just in time. Women can and should do so much more than aspire to be beholden to husbands. Our lives have value because of who we are and what we do not because (of who) we married.
  • The Calamity Club

    3
    By Halsterx
    3/5 stars Interesting read at times. The plot(s) are too drawn out and unrelated. You really have to stretch to tie them together and make the flow work in your mind. I would not recommend to family or friends. Hal R - Troy, MI