Well, this is a funny Book Club post because I didn’t actually make it to Book Club and I didn’t technically read the book.

The night our group met to discuss The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, I was unexpectedly in Auburn helping John move out of his apartment and into the fraternity house. I hated to miss the discussion because I had SO much to say about this one.

And while I didn’t read a single page, I listened to all 28-plus hours of the audiobook and can confidently say it is the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to. I absolutely, positively loved this book.

Set in Oxford, Mississippi in 1933, The Calamity Club follows eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur, who has been left at an orphanage after her mother disappears, and Birdie Calhoun, a young woman who arrives in Oxford hoping her wealthy sister will help the struggling family she left behind. Their lives eventually intersect with Charlie and a whole cast of women trying to survive the Depression and take some control over circumstances that have left them with very little of it.

There is a lot more to it than that, but I really don’t want to spoil this one.

What made the book so special for me were the characters. I became completely invested in Meg and Birdie and, really, the whole lot of them. They were so wonderfully developed that by the end I felt less like I’d finished a story and more like I’d left a group of people I’d come to know. I still find myself thinking about them and wondering how they’re doing, which I realize is slightly ridiculous because they are fictional characters.

And then there is the audio. Y’ALL. Jenna Lamia and January LaVoy narrate the book, with Lamia voicing Meg’s perspective and LaVoy voicing Birdie’s, and they are phenomenal. The voices, accents, cadence and personalities made the characters feel completely alive. Even at nearly 29 hours, I never wanted to stop listening. The dual narration and the distinct personalities the two narrators create, make for a sensational listen.

And here’s perhaps the greatest endorsement I can give it: despite listening to the entire thing, I’ve bought the actual book for my shelf. I loved it that much.

Five stars from me, and if you enjoy audiobooks, don’t even think twice. Listen to this one.

Now, since I missed the actual Book Club discussion, I need y’all to fill me in. Did you love it as much as I did? Were you as invested in Meg and Birdie? Did 28 hours feel like too much or were you also a little sad when it ended?

I’ve picked up two books since finishing The Calamity Club, but I decided to DNF (do not finish) the first and cannot seem to get into the second one either. I suppose finding something to follow The Calamity Club is the true calamity. Send recommendations. Clearly, I need help.

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