The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett (2026 fiction)

In her first book since The Help, Kathryn Stockett returns us to small-town Mississippi. Set in the 1930’s depression era, the story explores hard times, class and racial prejudices, and the treatment of women. Twenty-four-year-old Birdie travels from her home in the tiny town of Footley to visit her sister Frances in Oxford for the purpose of asking for money to help save the farm. Frances married into a wealthy family, which suits her snobby self just fine. But when Birdie arrives, she finds that things are not what they seemed, and due to a set of unexpected circumstances, Frances’ family is also having financial troubles. Eleven-year-old Meg lives at an Oxford orphanage for girls. She is mistreated by the volunteers that run the organization for reasons unknown to her. Other than having her mother come back to get her, Meg’s greatest hope is to be adopted by a loving family. But most of them are looking for babies, not older children. Charlie LeFleur shows up at the house where Frances and Birdie are living, looking for work and information. She is bright, talented, and helpful, but what does she really want? How these folks relate to each other and what measures they take to solve their troubles add up to an entertaining and fascinating read. Yes, there are villains. But the preponderance of characters in this book are likeable, and you want them to succeed in the end. The story is both humorous and heartbreaking. This appears to be a long book (650 pages) but it reads quickly, and before you know it, you wish it hadn’t ended. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it!

Reviewed by Ginger Russell