“The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett is her first novel since she wrote “The Help” over 17 years ago. It is LONG – 634 pages – but it is absolutely wonderful reading!!
This historical fiction book is set in Oxford, Mississippi in 1933 and has fabulous female characters – they will stay in my thoughts for a long while. It deals with some horrible times in our country’s history – immoral laws and terrible treatment of women and the poor. Stockett’s words made me feel like I was actually IN 1930’s Mississippi!
The three main characters in “The Calamity Club” are Birdie, an independent woman trying to help her family, Meg, an 11-year-old living in an orphanage and Charlie, Meg’s estranged mother. The three women are all poor and single, putting them at the bottom of society’s social ladder. Birdie and Charlie are facing severe financial difficulties and Meg is struggling in a dreadful orphan’s home. Despite many challenges, all three women are survivors and are so resilient and supportive of others they befriend. Sections are narrated by Meg and Birdie, with several chapters in each section. I don’t want to give any of the plot away, so just know that despite the length, the story just came alive for me!
If the 634 pages doesn’t scare you off, please do read “The Calamity Club”. I guarantee that this one will be one of the ‘book of the year’ nominees!! Just a heads up that it does deal with unpleasant topics – racism, mental illness, forced sterilization, homophobia and unethical morality of government. Despite the serious topics, there is much humor throughout, and an emphasis on togetherness/friendship and courage to overcome injustice. I LOVED these characters and bet that this novel will be made into a series or a movie in the future. (Since reading, I’ve seen multiple recommendations for the audiobook of this novel also!)
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