Get the Summary of Kathryn Stockett's The Calamity Club in 20 minutes. The Calamity Club (2026) by bestselling novelist Kathryn Stockett follows two young women grappling with the Great Depression in 1933 in Oxford, Mississippi. Meg Lefleur, 11, lives in an oppressive orphanage where she's bullied and isolated. Birdie Calhoun, 24, comes to Oxford to seek a loan from her socialite sister for their struggling family. Volunteering with her sister at the orphanage, Birdie tries to help Meg until she's unexpectedly adopted. Days later, Birdie finds Meg's mother, Charlie, on the doorstep. She's terrified of Miss Garnett, who runs the place, and asks Birdie to help find Meg. Birdie soon learns how deeply appearances can be deceiving, whether it's her sister's supposed wealth or Charlie's alleged abandonment of Meg. Amid prejudices and perils, Birdie and Charlie resolve to rescue those they care about. They come up with a plan to run a club that will break society's rules—but give them the chance they so desperately need.
