The Calamity Club: A Novel

"So immersive, exciting, and downright fabulous, you never want it to end."--Oprah Daily

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 heart-wrenching, often hilarious story of economic hardship, moral posturing, and the particular yearnings of childless women and motherless girls."--The New York Times

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

656 pages

Average rating: 9.67

3 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

DarS
May 03, 2026
10/10 stars
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.

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