06/14/2026
At more than 630 pages, The Calamity Club is not a quick read. But somehow, I never wanted it to end.
Written by Kathryn Stockett, best known for The Help, this long-awaited novel proves she still has an incredible gift for creating unforgettable characters and transporting readers to another time and place.
Set in Depression-era Mississippi, the story follows three women whose lives couldn’t be more different: Meg, an eleven-year-old orphan who has learned not to trust anyone; Birdie, a fiercely independent woman trying to help her struggling family; and Charlie, a woman who has lost almost everything and is running out of options. When their paths intersect, they become part of an unlikely sisterhood determined to take control of their own futures in a world that gives women very little power.
What makes this book special isn’t the plot alone - it’s the characters. Stockett has a gift for creating women who are flawed, funny, stubborn, and unforgettable.
The book tackles poverty, hypocrisy, class divides, family loyalty, and the limited choices available to women during the Great Depression, but it never feels preachy. At its core, it’s a story about resilience and what can happen when underestimated women decide they’re done accepting the lives others (the patriarchy!) have chosen for them.
I’ve had a lot more time to read lately than I expected to have this year, and this was exactly the kind of book I needed - hopeful, funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately transformative.
Five stars. One of those rare novels that completely pulls you into another world and leaves you thinking about its characters long after you’ve finished the last page.
📚 Purchased from my favorite local bookstore, Bookstore Of Glen Ellyn
