K Stockett's THE CALAMITY CLUB-Southern Class Clashes Causing Distress is Too Long

Kathryn Stockett's debut novel THE HELP (2009) was a NY Times Best Seller and made into a critical and commercially successful film starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. Stockett's latest novel from this year, THE CALAMITY CLUB ("TCC")  also draws from life in Mississippi (MS) her home state. The earlier novel dealt primarily with class distinctions depicting cruel subjugations by whites towards blacks. Stockett's TCC is set during the Great Depression. There are references to the 2nd class status of blacks to whites and anti-miscegenation laws, but the main focus is on the atrocities of subsisting as a white woman during the impoverished 30's. Both novels are to be praised for their entertaining historic fiction regarding the heartlessness and superiority of one race or class over the other. The author's clever storytelling shines a light on the ruthlessness of humanity while creating empathy and admiration for those malevolently treated. Given the success of THE HELP as a film, Stockett steered her for a screenplay to generate financial benefits for herself and a movie studio. However, in doing so, Stockett needed to put a sock in it more often than not. The numerous plots and overly abundant characters made wading through TCC arduous. That's not to say there are interesting characters we cared for.  Take for example Meg, the 11 year old girl raised by a single, loving mother. Her mother Charlie was forcibly incarcerated and sterilized following her immoral status having a child out of wedlock. Left to fend ford herself, we get an early glimpse of Meg's resourcefulness and inner-strength which served her well under barbaric conditions in an orphanage and then at the whims of her neglectful, narcissistic adoptive mother Lucille. Lucille couldn't be bothered with anything but boozing and buying herself fancy clothes. Her adoptive father, Tom, is a wealthy pampered mama's boy without a backbone. But, at least he was an attentive dad until he went on a bender that rendered him 20 leagues under water in his private lake. Meg's unflappability may have been inherited from her mother. As soon as Charlie was released she didn't stop at anything to get her daughter back. Meg's path crosses that with the sisters Birdie and Frances from the poor side of the tracks. Frances the beauty marries into a wealthy family. Birdie, the sensible, pragmatic sister works to provide for their mother and grandmother. When Frances stops communicating with her family back home, Frances is sent to investigate. Birdie becomes embroiled in a convoluted scheme to turn Frances' in-laws home into a hoar house as a means to earn money via the only, readily reliable means.To further complicate matters, Frances' husband is homosexual and he made off with their money and valuables leaving Frances and his mother at risk of being homeless. Alls well that ends well in this not surprisingly, uplifting tale which drops on for too long. I'm confident Stockett should get a lucrative offer from a studio. The studio will edit her book, cast A list stars, and turn it into  an enlightening, entertaining movie. Skip the excruciating long book and look for the flick which will be out quick.