“If you give a girl a taste of fresh air and then take it away, she will grow fierce and wild to get that fresh air back again.”
Let me start by admitting something. I usually struggle with books that creep past the 400‑page mark. I see that page count and immediately brace myself. With The Calamity Club, though, I found myself in that funny middle ground where I both felt the length and also didn’t want to leave these characters behind. It took me a little while to settle into the rhythm of the story, but once I hit the ten to fifteen per cent mark, I was completely absorbed. I switched between the audiobook and the physical copy, and Meg’s chapters in particular were wonderful to listen to.
“This slapped-together band of misfits made me feel, for the first time, that I truly belonged. How the hell, I wondered, did I ever get so lucky?”
The novel is set in 1933 Mississippi during the Great Depression, and the atmosphere of hardship is present from the first pages. The story unfolds through two narrators. Meg is an eleven‑year‑old girl living in a grim orphanage, constantly trying to stay out of trouble and never quite succeeding. Birdie is a twenty‑four‑year‑old woman sent to Jackson to ask her well‑married sister for money, only to discover that nothing about her sister’s life is as polished as it appears. Their paths cross, and from that point the story grows into something far bigger than either of them expects.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all!”
What struck me most was how real these characters felt. Birdie, Meg, and Charlie are the kind of underdogs you can’t help rooting for. Their voices are distinct, warm, and full of personality. Even the side characters add texture to the world, creating a sense of community that feels lived‑in rather than constructed. Stockett doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of 1930s Mississippi either. She tackles issues like poverty, the mistreatment of women, racism, and the institutional cruelty faced by those labelled as inconvenient or unworthy. Some of these threads are uncomfortable, but they’re handled with clarity and compassion.
“Unfortunately, paint can’t fix what’s rotten down deep, Meg. There is bound to be a life lesson in there somewhere.”
The book is undeniably long, and there were moments where I felt it dragging, especially around the three‑quarter mark. Still, the second half is stronger than the first, and once the story finds its stride, it moves with surprising momentum. I loved the way Stockett wove the lives of these women together, showing how resilience, friendship, and sheer stubborn hope can reshape even the bleakest circumstances.
“I have been told I tend to overthink things. Well I have known enough people to underthink things and could stand to put a little more thought in their decisions.”
Readers who enjoy historical fiction with emotional depth, found family dynamics, and richly drawn characters will find a lot to love here. The audiobook is excellent, and if you’re someone who likes to switch between formats, this is a great one to experience that way.
In the end, despite wishing it were a touch shorter, I closed the book feeling grateful for the time I’d spent with these characters. It’s a story full of heart, humour, and grit.
Thank you to Penguin Random House SA for the opportunity to read this book.
Calamity Club – Penguin Random House South Africa
