"A Puget Sound Odyssey" is a witty, intimate personal memoir describing a boy's adventures growing up in a large family during the Depression years on a small farm in rural Washington state. The author's dry wit and friendly writing style bring many colorful episodes to life. The family of six survived on their small homestead without modern plumbing or heat, and depended on hunting, salmon fishing, and taking on odd jobs for small businesses and farms nearby.

"One summer our family was picnicking at the Mason Lake area, and as we were swimming, Gene found an...