Mark Twain wrote: I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one.

The Calamity Club
by Kathryn Stockett

Category:  Historical Fiction

Average Rating:  5.0

Oxford, Mississippi, 1933.

Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed.

Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies.

Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates--and Meg's--converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan for them to take control of their lives. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.

Jeff

[2026-08-07 13:49:16]

Rating:  5

The Calamity Club is a compelling, heart-wrenching, and absolutely amazing story. Even better, it is narrated by two of my absolute favorite female narrators, Jenna Lamia and January LaVoy. Hearing these two together was a real treat.

Jenna Lamia's youthful voice is perfect for Meg's chapters, giving the character exactly the right quality and making her perspective feel natural and authentic. January LaVoy is a master of character voices, giving the many characters distinct and appropriate voices without ever making them feel exaggerated or distracting. Together, they create a wonderfully immersive listening experience.

The characters are all so well drawn, with enough depth and personality to make me genuinely care about what happens to them. Lamia and LaVoy's performances bring those characters to life beautifully, and their pacing, inflection, and emotional delivery perfectly complement the story.

This was one of those audiobooks that completely engrossed me. It made me laugh, hurt, and care about the characters, and I was never tempted to stop listening. With such a compelling story and two exceptional narrators, The Calamity Club is an audiobook I can wholeheartedly recommend.