The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

 

Birdie Calhoun is in desperate need of money to save her family home. Hoping that the wealthy family her sister has married into will help, she travels to Oxford, Mississippi, but when she gets there, things don't go to plan, and she has to find another way of raising the money.

Almost twenty years after The Help was published, author Kathryn Stockett has written The Calamity Club. If you read and enjoyed the author's debut novel, as I did, then I am sure you'll love this one.

At the age of twenty-four, Birdie has accepted that she is going to be single for the rest of her life. Living in the small town of Footely, Mississippi, she is the sole breadwinner for the family. The family is relatively well-off compared to many others, but like a lot of people, they are struggling to make ends meet, and the bank are threatening to repossess their home.

Frances, Birdie's sister, has married into the wealthy Tartt family, and Birdie hopes that if she pays her a visit, she will be able to persuade her to help her family financially. When Birdie arrives at the Tartt mansion in Oxford, things initially seem fine, but gradually she begins to learn that there are problems. 

Set at the height of the Great Depression, it was shocking to learn that very few people were immune to the problems sweeping across the country. In the deep south in particular, the cotton trade has become worthless, leading to mass unemployment. The unemployment has such a knock-on effect, not only are people struggling to survive, but businesses are floundering as people don't have money to spend. Status and perceived wealth are not unaffected, with many losing their homes. It was distressing to discover that some families would simply abandon children they could no longer afford to feed, leaving them in the care of orphanages.

At the heart of the novel is the power of female friendship, the support they offer, and the strength they show to overcome obstacles. Alongside Birdie, we meet some wonderful characters who will do anything to survive, despite everything life throws at them. Unfortunately, not every female fits this mould, for some power and jealousy are corrupting, with devastating consequences.

The author manages to combine a number of different threads, which are ultimately bound together. I found myself desperately wanting Birdie and her friends to be successful, but dreading their secret being uncovered and dealt with harshly.

I loved being immersed in the lives of everyone, even though there were times when the harshness of their lives made me stop and reflect. After more than 600 pages in which I was fully invested in the characters, I felt the ending was a little abrupt. The lives of some of the characters I'd grown to love were written off within a sentence, and some were not even mentioned. Given that I thought the book was too long, I would have been happier to read more if time had been taken to give the characters a fitting ending.

Once you finish the book, it's worth taking a few minutes to read the Author's Note at the end. Some of the content mentioned in the story is quite an eye-opener, but it is only when you read the notes at the end that you realise how shocking events at the time actually were.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett will be published on 5th May 2026 in ebook and audio format, and the hardback will be published on 21st May 2026. My thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a review copy.

Author Details

Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Help. She lives in Mississippi and New York City.