Goodreads says, "In 1933 Oxford, Mississippi, Prohibition is on the wane, and the Great Depression is tightening its grip. Poor and rich folks alike have fallen on hard times, even as the old social order remains. For women on the margins, the options are few and the price of dignity and self-determination is unbearably high.
Eleven-year-old Meg, one of the unadoptable “big girls” at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford on a mission to ask her social-climbing sister to help the struggling family she’s left behind. And Charlie is a woman with a past, running low on luck but driven by fire, fury, and grit. When their fates converge, they come up with an audacious plan to take back control of their lives. Together, they form an unlikely sisterhood—but in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife, women’s freedom is fragile, and making an enemy can have dire consequences, will the price they pay for their outrageous risk-taking be too high?
The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to resilience, friendship, and the fierce, funny 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."
Meg Lefleur is down on her luck. Her mother abandoned her around Christmas and left her to fend for herself. The year is 1933, and she finds herself at the orphanage in Oxford, Mississippi, under the "protection" of a mean director who seems to have it out for her. She is counting the days till she gets out of the orphanage. Once she turns twelve, she can head off to the cannery for work; unless, that is, her mother returns for her. That is the hope that keeps her going. Then there's Birdie Calhoun, who has returned to Oxford to visit her sister, Frances, and ask for money. Birdie, and her family live on the Delta, and their house is on the brink of foreclosure. They need some money from Frances who has married into a wealthy family, but once she gets to Oxford, she realizes that things are not what they seem at Frances's home or with her marriage. Birdie crosses paths with Meg as well as Meg's biological mother, Charlie, who has concocted a plan to make enough money to get Meg back, and she lets Birdie in on this plan as she needs money, too. Ultimately, The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett is a story about mothers, daughters, community, and the will to survive. It's one of those books that stays with the reader long after the final chapter is read.
Stockett creates such dynamic characters; I truly cared about all of them, even if I didn't always agree with their decisions in The Calamity Club. Meg is a spitfire of an eleven-year-old who deserves so much more than being abused in the county orphanage. I desperately wanted her out of there, and to watch how her life intersects Birdie's was also well plotted. Birdie's story was also a compelling one, and she was a character whom I came to enjoy. I wanted her to have her happy ending, too, and as the story progressed, Birdie grew as a person. Lastly, all of the secondary characters who enter the story were memorable and well developed; Stockett did a superb job bringing them to life.
The setting of Oxford, Mississippi, during the Great Depression was outstanding. It's crazy to think that Stockett didn't even live then, because the setting, the atmosphere, the details all jumped off the page in The Calamity Club. It's A+ historical fiction and at times reads like a modern classic; it would make for a great TV show or movie.
But be forewarned. The Calamity Club is really, really, really long. I am glad I chose to listen to the audiobook as well as read the novel, as I jumped back and forth. I must be honest that I was drawn to the audiobook more as the narrators brought the characters to life so very well and really helped push the story along when it meandered a bit and slowed down much like a person on a hot, humid day in the south. I do think some parts could have been cut as the story really chugged along in some chapters; nonetheless, despite the slow pacing at times, it was a fantastic read, complete with everything a historical fiction fan could want.
If you love historical fiction, don't miss this one this summer. I recommend the audiobook for a more dynamic presentation. Despite its imposing length, The Calamity Club is a memorable read and one of my favorites of the year.
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