The Calamity Club Book Club Questions

Discussion questions

1. How does Meg's experience at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum shape her outlook on life and her relationships with others?
2. Why do you think Birdie Calhoun decided to leave her family behind and seek help from her sister in Oxford?
3. What are the implications of Birdie discovering her sister's life is built on lies, and how does this affect her actions moving forward?
4. In what ways do Meg, Birdie, and Charlie's lives intersect, and how do these intersections propel the story forward?
5. What do you think of Charlie's plan to claim what is rightfully theirs, and do you think it was justified given the context of the time and place?
6. Discuss a scene that you found particularly humorous or poignant, and explain why it resonated with you.
7. Do you believe the setting of Oxford, Mississippi during the Great Depression is integral to the story, and how does it influence the characters' decisions?
8. How does the theme of sisterhood manifest throughout the novel, and in what ways does it empower the women in the story?
9. Reflect on the ending of the novel: do you think it offered a satisfying conclusion to the characters' journeys?
10. Can you draw any parallels between the struggles faced by the characters in the book and challenges in your own life or in contemporary society?