The Calamity Club: A Novel

By Kathryn Stockett

"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.

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Published May 5, 2026

Average rating: 8.92

746 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

MandyNT
Aug 03, 2026
10/10 stars
I could not put this book down. I read it and took it with me everywhere.
Auburn’s
Aug 01, 2026
8/10 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for this digital ARC. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett Seventeen years after The Help, Kathryn Stockett returns with The Calamity Club—a dark, atmospheric Southern epic set during the sweltering Mississippi summer of 1933. The story follows Birdie Calhoun, a fiercely independent woman trying to save her family farm, and Meg Lefleur, a resilient 11-year-old orphan in the hands of an evil socialite, who is trying to destroy Meg for secret reasons of her own. Facing financial ruin, hypocritical town moralists, and terrifying era eugenics laws, Birdie forms an unlikely alliance with an entrepreneurial woman named Charlie, who is also Meg’s estranged Mom. To reclaim autonomy over their lives, Birdie and Charlie engineer a risky and illicit way to make the quick money they need with the help of some old acquaintances of Charlie’s, a group of female societal outcasts with goals of their own. This Depression-era saga is 656 pages of a definite slow-burn compared to Stockett's debut, the Help. However, her signature wit, and brilliant, vibrant writing style, shine through the grinding economic despair. Her beautiful themes of social justice and bringing families together definitely deliver. It is a triumphant, hell raising return!
MLRoberto
Jul 23, 2026
10/10 stars
Wonderful, I will read again.
RM
Jul 11, 2026
10/10 stars
The Calamity Club was an absolute delight and one of my favorite reads this year. It’s rare for a book to make me laugh out loud, but this one did several times. The story also brought back so many wonderful memories of my own teenage years. I was blessed with loving parents and a happy childhood, which made my heart ache even more for the little girl who felt like she was trapped in that awful orphanage. Those parts were incredibly moving. As the story unfolded, there were several moments that literally made me gasp. Just when I thought I knew where things were headed, another surprise came along. I enjoyed both the Kindle and audiobook versions, and I can’t say enough good things about the audiobook. The narrator’s voices, accents, and character portrayals were outstanding and added so much personality to an already wonderful story. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, tug at your heart, and keep you guessing, I highly recommend The Calamity Club.
Club Pilates Amity
Jul 06, 2026
9/10 stars
Characters were engaging. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. Loved reading about women r journey during the depression.

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