Some novels just stay with you for a long, long time. This is one of those books you’ll be thinking back on for years because it’s just that good. Don’t miss out on this one, mamas. It may take a chapter or two to catch on to what’s happening, but it’s so worth the wait. If you like to walk or exercise while you listen to an audiobook, your step count is about to go WAY up because it’s hard to pause the action once this book gets going.
Book title: The Calamity Club: A Novel
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Genre: Historical Fiction; Women’s Friendship Fiction
What it’s about (without spoilers):
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.
Why we love it:
No one writes characters quite like this author, Kathryn Stockett. There’s no way not to fall in love with the two main characters. Their voices are so distinct and ring so true that you’ll be completely engrossed in what’s happening in their lives. This novel also paints a startling picture of the stark, sometimes brutal reality facing women in the early 1930s. I’ve never rooted for a happy ending as much as I did in this novel. If you’re a fan of audiobooks, I beg you to listen to this book because the narrators are incredible and they bring these unforgettable characters to life in such a gripping, heart-warming way.
What other people say:
“So immersive, exciting, and downright fabulous, you never want it to end.”—Oprah Daily
“Smart, funny, and driven by unforgettable characters whose opinions and actions leap off the page, this is a must-read.”—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
“The must-read choice of every book club in the country.”—The Huffington Post
About the author: Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama, she moved to New York City, where she worked in magazine publishing and marketing for nine years. Her first novel, The Help, has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. She lives in Mississippi and New York City.
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