Wow, what a book! Wow, what an author!

Imagine that you're a writer, yourself. What if your very first published novel became a bestseller, right out of the chute? What if the book was so popular that it was made into a movie, too? Immediate success would be a fabulous reward for your work, right? And yet, you're still a writer. What are you supposed to do NEXT? What could you possibly create that would meet or would exceed what are now high public expectations?

In this respect, I haven't envied Kathryn Stockett's position since The Help came out in 2009, and since the movie was released in 2011. Both tell a powerful (and sometimes amusing) story based on African American maids who served white middle-class households in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s. Many millions of copies of the book have been sold. And sadly, we haven't heard anything from Stockett since. She could easily put her feet up and relax for all eternity, if she wanted to. And yet, she's still a writer. This second book is additional proof.

This time, the story takes place in rural Mississippi in 1933. Everyday life is a challenge for just about everybody in the South during the Great Depression, except for the very rich. It's even more challenging for the women who find themselves seemingly stuck in unusual circumstances. In this place and time, women have limited personal power. Decisions are made for them by others: often by white men who see themselves as authority figures. Anyone who doesn't stick to their rules will somehow be penalized.

The chapters alternate between the actions of two main characters, Birdie and Meg. Birdie Calhoun is in her 20s. She works as a bookkeeper for a small retail store. Her meager income is still not enough to support the household with her mother and her grandmother. They decide that Birdie should visit her sister Frances, who lives a few hours away, and should ask her for money. Frances married well and should be able to shell out some cash for her family members. Yet when Birdie makes the trip and arrives at the big house owned by the Tartts, she learns that outside appearances can be superficial. These folks may need even more help than the Calhouns do. Can Birdie figure out a way to lift everyone up, including herself?

Young Margot Lefleur, known as Meg, is 11 years old. She lives at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum for Girls, which is run by a tough taskmaster named Garnet Pittman. For some reason, Garnet has it in for Meg. She treats her worse than any of the other orphans. It's not likely that Meg will be adopted by any of the couples who visit the orphanage on View Day each month, so Meg's future seems bleak. A literal breath of fresh air comes her way when Birdie Calhoun arrives to work on the financial books of the orphanage. Their paths cross. Birdie's sister Frances is also one of Garnet Pittman's devoted volunteers.

Now we know how the two main characters meet. Will they be able to stay in touch with one another, if their lives lead them in different directions?

Kathryn Stockett has created interesting and complex characters here. She has placed them into intricate and realistic relationships. She allows us to see them in a place and time that is not our own, so that we can understand the past, and so that we can understand how it affects both the present and the future. She has done research to provide historical context that may be unfamiliar to many readers. We get to witness how these women react to the situations they have been involuntarily thrown into. While we explore their levels of resilience, we still have to wonder if ANY of them will be able to resolve their problems. And yet, being poor doesn't automatically mean being dumb, or having no resources, or having no possibilities at a better future. We cheer them on.

At 634 pages, The Calamity Club is a chunkster. The reader who picks it up will simultaneously be making a commitment to a sizable amount of time for reading. This book probably won't make as big a splash as The Help did. Yet, it will provide many hours of satisfying reading for those who give it a try. Keeping company with the people of Mississippi in the 1930s can be an enlightening experience: one in which we are very much aware of the considerations of gender rights and roles, and also, of course, of racial rights and roles. Bravo, Ms. Stockett.