Interview | Kathryn Stockett returns with new novel 17 years after ‘The Help’
Author Kathryn Stockett discusses her new novel, 'The Calamity Club,' which arrives 17 years after her debut success, 'The Help.' The book explores the historical mistreatment of women in Depression-era Mississippi, focusing on themes of class, power, and autonomy.
Why it matters
The long-awaited follow-up from a high-profile author highlights ongoing literary discussions regarding historical representation and the challenges of sustaining a career after a controversial debut.
American novelist Kathryn Stockett’s debut novel, The Help (2009), became a phenomenal success but her second, The Calamity Club (Penguin India), took her 17 years to complete.
Set in Mississippi during the decade-long Great Depression and its aftermath, The Calamity Club explores a bleak chapter in American history, when government policies included forced-sterilisation programmes and the detention of women deemed “promiscuous” or otherwise considered socially undesirable.
The novel offers a vivid and unsparing portrait of American society at the time through three central characters: 11-year-old “orphan” Meg Lefleur; her mother, Charlie, who finds herself bearing the brunt of these government schemes; and Birdie Calhoun, who seeks security and stability from her well-off sister Frances, who has married into the wealthy Tartt family.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in