Kathryn Stockett Books in Order: The Help, The Calamity Club, and Her Complete Bibliography
Kathryn Stockett became a major literary name with her 2009 debut novel, The Help, a story about Black domestic workers and a young white aspiring writer in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi. The novel became a #1 New York Times bestseller, sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film The Help.
Seventeen years later, Stockett returned with The Calamity Club, another historical novel set in Mississippi, this time in Oxford during the Great Depression. The two novels are not connected as a series, but both examine women, social expectations, class, power, friendship, and the difficult choices people make when society limits their options.
Kathryn Stockett Books in Publication Order
Kathryn Stockett’s published fiction is remarkably easy to organize because she has only two novels as of 2026.
| # | Book | Publication Year | Type |
| 1 | The Help | 2009 | Standalone historical fiction |
| 2 | The Calamity Club | 2026 | Standalone historical fiction |
The two books are not part of a shared series, and neither needs to be read before the other to understand its story. Reading them chronologically, however, gives readers a natural view of Stockett’s development as a novelist.
1. The Help (2009)
The Help is Kathryn Stockett’s debut novel and remains her best-known work. It is set in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962 and follows three women whose lives intersect across the racial and social divisions of the American South.
What is The Help about?
Aibileen Clark is a Black maid who has spent much of her life raising white children while navigating the restrictions imposed on Black workers in segregated Mississippi. Her friend Minny Jackson is an exceptionally talented cook but has a reputation for speaking her mind, while Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young white woman recently graduated from college, wants to become a writer rather than simply find a husband.
Skeeter begins working with Aibileen and Minny on a secret book project documenting the experiences of Black domestic workers. What begins as a writing project becomes increasingly dangerous as the women challenge the racial hierarchy of their community and risk serious personal consequences.
Why is The Help important?
The novel became a major international bestseller and was recognized with several awards, including the 2010 Audie Award and the Boeke Prize; the novel was also a winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction. It was later adapted into the 2011 film The Help, which received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar for Octavia Spencer.
The book remains widely read, but its treatment of race and its perspective on the experiences of Black women have also generated substantial critical discussion. That context is important when approaching the novel as both popular historical fiction and a work representing a deeply unequal period in American history.
Where does The Help take place?
The novel is primarily set in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, during the era of racial segregation and the developing Civil Rights Movement. Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, giving the setting a strong connection to the author’s own background, although The Help is a work of fiction rather than memoir.
2. The Calamity Club (2026)
The Calamity Club is Kathryn Stockett’s second novel and her first book published since The Help. It was published in May 2026 and quickly became a major bestseller, including a #1 New York Times bestseller designation.
What is The Calamity Club about?
The story opens in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1933, during the Great Depression. Eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has been living at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum after her mother fails to return home, and she has learned to survive without relying on adults.
Meanwhile, Birdie Calhoun arrives in Oxford hoping that her wealthy socialite sister will help the struggling family she left behind. When Birdie meets Charlie, a woman who has little left to lose, the three women’s lives become intertwined, eventually leading to an audacious plan to take control of their circumstances in a society where women’s freedom is severely restricted.
What makes The Calamity Club different from The Help?
Although both novels are set in Mississippi and focus heavily on women navigating restrictive social systems, they take place in very different historical periods. The Help is set in 1962 during the Civil Rights era, while The Calamity Club takes place in 1933 during the Great Depression.
The newer novel also has a stronger ensemble and adventure element, with found family, sisterhood, poverty, social hypocrisy, and female agency driving the story. Its central characters include an orphaned girl and a group of women whose lives converge around a risky attempt to change their circumstances.
Are Kathryn Stockett’s Books Connected?
No. The Help and The Calamity Club are separate standalone novels.
There are no recurring protagonists, no continuing storyline, and no required reading order connecting the two books. They do, however, share some broad literary interests, including Mississippi settings, women confronting social restrictions, class divisions, and characters trying to find independence within systems designed to limit them.
This means readers can technically start with either novel. For most readers, though, publication order is the better choice because The Help establishes Stockett’s original literary voice and The Calamity Club shows what she does after a long period away from publishing fiction.
Kathryn Stockett Books by Setting
| Book | Historical Period | Location | Main Focus |
| The Help | 1962 | Jackson, Mississippi | Race, class, domestic work, friendship, Civil Rights era |
| The Calamity Club | 1933 | Oxford, Mississippi | Women, poverty, sisterhood, social class, female agency |
The Mississippi connection is particularly notable because Stockett was born and raised in Jackson. She later worked in magazine publishing and marketing in New York before publishing her first novel. Her official biography states that The Help has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
Kathryn Stockett’s Author Background
Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama, she moved to New York City and worked in magazine publishing and marketing before becoming a novelist. She now lives between New York City and Mississippi.
Her personal connection to Mississippi is particularly relevant when discussing the settings of her fiction. The Help draws its setting from the Jackson community Stockett knew while growing up, while The Calamity Club moves farther north in the state to Oxford and back to the 1930s. Neither book should be treated as a memoir or historical record, however; both are works of fiction built around historical settings.
The Help vs. The Calamity Club
| Feature | The Help | The Calamity Club |
| Publication | 2009 | 2026 |
| Setting | Jackson, Mississippi | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Time period | 1962 | 1933 |
| Historical backdrop | Civil Rights era | Great Depression |
| Main characters | Aibileen, Minny, Skeeter | Meg, Birdie, Charlie |
| Genre | Historical / literary fiction | Historical / women’s fiction |
| Series? | No | No |
| Adaptation | Academy Award-winning film | No announced adaptation |
| Best for | Readers interested in race, class, friendship and social change | Readers interested in sisterhood, female agency and historical adventure |
What Order Should You Read Kathryn Stockett’s Books?
Publication order
The simplest and recommended order is:
- The Help (2009)
- The Calamity Club (2026)
Because the novels are standalone stories, there is no complicated series chronology to follow.
Can I read The Calamity Club before The Help?
Yes. You will not miss any plot information by starting with The Calamity Club because it has different characters, a different historical period, and a different storyline.
However, readers discovering Stockett for the first time may still want to begin with The Help because it is the book that established her career and remains her best-known work.
Which Kathryn Stockett book should I read first?
Start with The Help if you want the novel that made Stockett internationally famous and are interested in race, class, domestic work, and the Civil Rights era.
Choose The Calamity Club if you prefer a Depression-era historical story focused on women, sisterhood, found family, poverty, and female independence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Kathryn Stockett written?
As of 2026, Kathryn Stockett has published two novels: The Help and The Calamity Club. Her official website identifies The Calamity Club as her return to fiction after The Help, while publisher and bibliography sources likewise list two novels.
What was Kathryn Stockett’s first book?
Kathryn Stockett’s first published novel was The Help, released in 2009. It became a major bestseller and has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
What is Kathryn Stockett’s newest book?
Her newest book is The Calamity Club, published in May 2026. It is her second novel and was published 17 years after The Help.
Is The Calamity Club a sequel to The Help?
No. The Calamity Club is a completely separate standalone novel with different characters and a different setting. It takes place in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1933, while The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962.
Is The Help based on a true story?
No. The Help is a work of historical fiction. Stockett drew on her knowledge of growing up in Mississippi, but the characters and story are fictional. The novel uses a historical setting and real social conditions surrounding segregation and the Civil Rights era.
Is The Calamity Club based on a true story?
The Calamity Club is a historical novel rather than a biography or memoir. Its fictional characters are placed against real historical conditions in Depression-era Mississippi, including economic hardship and restrictive social expectations for women.
Does Kathryn Stockett have a series?
No. As of 2026, her published novels are standalone books rather than entries in a series. There is no official Kathryn Stockett series reading order.
Is Kathryn Stockett writing another book after The Calamity Club?
There is currently no additional published novel that needs to be added to her bibliography. The Calamity Club is her second novel and her latest published book as of 2026.
How many years were there between The Help and The Calamity Club?
There were approximately 17 years between the publication of The Help in 2009 and The Calamity Club in 2026. Publisher material specifically describes The Calamity Club as Stockett’s second novel and her much-anticipated return after 17 years.
Final Verdict
Kathryn Stockett’s reading order is refreshingly simple: The Help (2009) → The Calamity Club (2026). There are no interconnected series, recurring protagonists, or complicated chronology to untangle.
What makes the two novels particularly interesting together is their shared Mississippi setting and their very different historical worlds. The Help examines race, class, domestic work, and social change in 1962 Jackson, while The Calamity Club moves back to 1933 Oxford and focuses on women confronting poverty, social hypocrisy, and restrictions on their independence.
For readers who discovered Stockett through The Help, The Calamity Club offers a chance to see how her storytelling has evolved after a remarkable 17-year gap. And for anyone searching for Kathryn Stockett books in order, there is no need to look for a hidden third novel or a sequel: as of 2026, these are her two published novels.
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