The Calamity Club

by Kathryn Stockett · 2026

Set against the bleak backdrop of 1933 Mississippi, *The Calamity Club* weaves together the lives of women whose fates are bound by family, poverty, and the relentless grip of the Great Depression. When Birdie journeys from the Delta to her sister Frances’s seemingly affluent home in Oxford, she discovers that Frances’s marriage to ambitious banker Rory Tartt is teetering on the brink of financial ruin. As the family’s fortunes crumble, Birdie must confront hard choices and hidden loyalties to shield those she loves. Meanwhile, at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, the observant Meg dreams of a world beyond the institution’s iron walls. Under the stern watch of Miss Faye, Meg and fifteen other girls navigate a harsh reality, clinging to hope and the faint promise of belonging. Their stories intersect in unexpected ways, revealing the fragile yet powerful connections that can both sustain and shatter lives in a time of crisis.