It took seventeen years for Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help (and the movie of the same name), to publish her second novel, The Calamity Club, and it was worth the wait. I’ve been able to do little else but read the last few days until I finally finished. Written in the voices of an 11-year-old girl and a 20-something spinster, it is smart, at times funny, beautifully written, and a pleasure to read. At around 600 pages, it kept me engaged and turning pages for days. While some might consider it a slow read, I savoured the leisurely pace, ideal for hot, lazy summer afternoons.

The story is set in Depression-era Oxford, Mississippi in 1933 and captures all the textures, smells, and attitudes of the American South during the Depression. Stockett’s skillful use of the local vernacular helps to establish the mood and personalities of the characters.

Meg Lafleur was eleven years old when her single mother failed to return home one day. Meg was picked up and sent to an orphans’ home in her local community. The facility was grim, but the woman managing it made the experience even more unbearable. Babies and toddlers were treated well because they were ripe for adoption, and the home was rewarded with generous fees. Girls Meg’s age were excess, unwanted baggage, and forced to bide their time until they turned twelve and were shipped off to earn a living working at a nearby cannery.

When spinster Birdy Calhoun travels to visit her married sister Frances, who volunteers at the orphanage, she is recruited to donate time to do some accounting for the facility and straighten out their books. Birdy is shocked to discover that the precocious young Meg is segregated from the other children and denied the ability to attend school. She’s kept in a mouldy, windowless little office where she passes the time doodling with a pencil and counting the days until she can break free and leave to work at the cannery.

The mystery of where Meg’s mother, Charlie, disappeared to plagues her daughter. Where did she go and why? Will she ever return? The more Birdy becomes involved in the orphanage and its operations, the more she senses the needs of its residents, particularly Meg, and feels obliged to help out however she can. Her sister Frances, however, is a social climber and resists upsetting the strict, self-righteous manager. Their personalities clash as secrets about her sister’s husband and his wealthy, influential family begin to emerge. All is not what it seems.

The Calamity Club is a feminist novel and a reminder of how difficult it was for women in the 1930s to support themselves, rise above prejudice, and break free of social expectations. When everyone around them is dirt-poor or going bankrupt, a group of resourceful women rally and set aside their preconceptions to save themselves and their community. Surprisingly, they open a brothel to service the local college and male population. It is a risky and dangerous undertaking, especially with an unsympathetic sheriff, an unknowing landlord, and the risk of exposure and imprisonment.

It’s easy for women today to forget how little freedom, options, and rights women had at that time. It’s a sobering exposé when read through twenty-first-century eyes. Single mothers in the 1930s were considered promiscuous, imbecilic, and degenerate. Many were committed to institutions, imprisoned, and sterilized for their so-called sins. Some of these attitudes carried on well into the fifties and didn’t begin to change until the sixties.

Birdie and her friends overcame obstacles and personal doubts to save themselves, their homes and their families. Their resourcefulness and their courage are remarkable. It’s also a great reminder of how difficult it was for women in particular, and we need to keep that in mind when we’re tempted to complain about life today. Take The Calamity Club to the cottage, read it on the train or subway on your way to work. If you’re retired like me, put your feet up in your favourite chair, or in the shade of your backyard, pour a big mug of tea, get comfortable, and enjoy. When you’re finished, you’ll want to share it with your girlfriends.

If you are unable to obtain a copy of this book at your local bookstore or library, you can order a copy of

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett or The Help delivered directly to your door or tablet from Amazon by clicking on this link.