The Calamity Club: A Novel

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.

Characters were engaging. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. Loved reading about women r journey during the depression.

Best book I have read in years!

Absolutely loved this book. Had me on edge of what Birdie would do next.

Published on Peeking Between the Pages (https://peekingbetweenthepages.com/2026/05/the-calamity-club-by-kathryn-stockett.html) Like many I was a huge fan of The Help so I was very excited to see Kathryn Stockett had a new book coming out – The Calamity Club. Often when an author has a book as amazing as The Help you find the next one just doesn’t measure up. No fear of that with The Calamity Club – it is such a beautiful story of family, friendship, strength, and love. It’s hard to know where to start since I loved everything about this novel so I’ll start with one of my favorite characters. It’s 1933 and eleven-year-old Meg is left abandoned by her mother on Christmas Eve and ends up in an orphanage. It’s a hard life for her there as the woman who runs the place really dislikes her but she is so spunky and funny. She’s a strong girl determined to have life despite her circumstances. Then we have Birdie who is unmarried and most certainly has a mind of her own. I just loved her. Her family is struggling to make ends meet so she travels to visit her well-off sister to ask for money. However it turns out her sister isn’t doing as well as she thought. Then Birdie meets Charlie and the plan they hatch to earn some money was nothing less than shocking. As the story unfolds secrets are revealed and lives converge, especially those of Meg, Birdie, and Charlie. This is a chunky novel at over 650 pages but it flew by for me. I was so engrossed in the lives of Meg, Birdie, and Charlie not to mention all the side characters as well. Turning the last page on this novel left me feeling as though I had lost some special friends and I know this novel will stay with me for a long time. If you enjoy stories of female friendships and women who persevere even in a time when most didn’t you need to pick up a copy of The Calamity Club which is releasing on May 5. What a perfect novel to sit outside in the sun with! Highly recommended! Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.