Following the international success of her debut novel The Help, Kathryn Stockett returns with The Calamity Club, her first work of fiction for 17 years. As the Great Depression looms over the rich and poor residents of 1930s Mississippi, women on the fringes are battling on every level.
Having spent an unhappy time at the local orphanage, Meg is longing to reach her 12th birthday when she will be permitted to leave to work in a factory. When the defiant Birdie arrives to stay with her aloof sister Frances and joins her at the orphanage to volunteer, this sparks an unlikely bond with Meg and then Charlie as they aim to take back control of their lives.
Featuring strong subject matters including sterilisation, racism and poverty, they are dealt with grace, humour and resilience that bring a sensitive understanding to the difficult topics. At over 600 pages, the pacing of the novel could have been improved after a slow start to proceedings; still, the rich and lengthy cast of intriguing well drawn-out characters do then move the book along.
A thoroughly enjoyable, enriching and heartwarming read that was worth the wait, I predict The Calamity Club will be another book club favourite for many years to come.
