BOOK OF THE MONTH

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

656 pages

Average rating: 8.82

180 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Barber
Jun 22, 2026
10/10 stars
Best book I have read in years!
Dani38
Jun 15, 2026
9/10 stars
Absolutely loved this book. Had me on edge of what Birdie would do next.
JessBookish
Jun 30, 2026
5/10 stars
Great beginning, ending made me dislike the characters that I had grown to like.
Done
Jun 18, 2026
𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬😊 ... 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞😘 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡. 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧❜𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭❜𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧❜𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 on messenger , 𝐥𝐞𝐭❜𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬.🙏🙏
Gram Judy
Jun 17, 2026
8/10 stars
This historical fiction really kept my interest all the way through. There’s both humor and sadness in this story of Birdie, Meg and their friends and foes. It’s a tough time in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression for those facing money and family challenges, especially for women and girls.

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