KUOW Book Club's December read: A comical memoir about life in 1920s Washington

The KUOW Book Club is reading "The Egg and I" by Betty MacDonald this month.

MacDonald moved to the Olympic Peninsula in the early 1900s with her marine husband. That seemingly normal move led to a life full of the kind of stories that feed a successful writing career. Published in 1945, "The Egg and I" was the first of four autobiographical bestsellers MacDonald wrote. She also wrote children's books, including the popular "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" books.

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"The Egg and I" was a hit back in MacDonald's day (she died in 1958 at the early age of 50), and it continues to be a hilarious, heartwarming story today. That sounds like just what the doctor ordered for a holiday season after a stressful year. Then again, MacDonald's troubles running a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula may trigger those of you who have, like me, experienced the unique joy and frustration of raising chickens. Apologies to y'all.

Here's the reading schedule:

• Read the first nine chapters by December 16.
• Finish the book by December 30.

Since MacDonald died back in the 1950s and this read is coming amid a busy holiday season, there will not be an author interview at the end of the month. But I'll still send out a newsletter and share my analysis here at the halfway point and when we finish the book, as per usual.

Subscribe to the book club newsletter here, and join the conversation by emailing me directly at kcampbell@kuow.org.

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Spoiler alert: For those of you who like to plan ahead, our January pick is "Three Alarm Fire" by Seattle author Juan Carlos Reyes. The book, published by Marcus Harrison Green's Hinton Publishing, just came out in October. That may have been perfect timing, as the fiction collection "examines the range of grief and healing we navigate as Americans."

This may be a good time to mention I'm planning to pick more new and recent releases for the KUOW Book Club next year. We have a stellar community of established and rising writers here in Seattle, and I want to celebrate the new titles that will help define that community in the years to come.