Alumni Book Club

Personal stories, timely topics, transformative fiction… Let’s dig into some amazing books together! All curious readers are welcome at the UW Alumni Book Club. Together, we read a book about every two months. Choose just one or all five — whatever works for you.

Now Reading

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

Oct. 9–Dec. 11, 2026

Readers’ Choice! In the late 1930s, civil war grips Spain. Hundreds of thousands flee to France, including a wounded army doctor and his brother’s widow. The two team up to seek refuge in Chile as Europe erupts in war — but life in exile comes with its own dangerous challenges.

→ New York Times Bestseller!

Isabel Allende, born in Peru to Chilean parents, is one of the most widely read authors in the world. She has written more than 25 books, which have been translated into 42 languages. In 2014, Allende was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She lives in California with her husband and her two dogs.

Join the Discussion

The free online forum has suggested timelines and prompts for online discussion. Join us and take the conversation to the next level!

“One of the most richly imagined portrayals of the Spanish Civil War to date, and one of the strongest and most affecting works in [Isabel Allende’s] long career.”

—New York Times Book Review

Campus Connections

“A Long Petal of the Sea” begins during the Spanish Civil War. Read on for three ways the University of Washington connects to this period of history.

Spanish Civil War Memorial

Just west of the Husky Union Building (HUB) stands a stone and bronze memorial with the names of eleven UW students who served in the Spanish Civil War. The Department of Student Veteran Life has the story.

Historic newspaper clippings about Thane Summers.

Huskies in the International Brigades

Philosophy student Thane Summers was one of nearly seventy volunteers living in the Northwest who traveled to fight in the Spanish Civil War. The UW’s Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium looks at what inspired Seattleites to volunteer.

Historic photo of international soldiers in Spain.

Audio Interviews

In the late 1930s, nearly 3,000 Americans embarked for Europe to join the Spanish Civil War. Nearly one-third of the Americans who went to Spain were Jewish. Professor Joe Butwin interviewed dozens of these veterans, and you can listen to their accounts via the UW’s Stroum Center for Jewish Studies.

Hear from the Author

Fy27 Book Club Allende Radke 800x600.jpg

Of Republics and Refugees

In 2020, Isabel Allende sat down with KUOW’s Bill Radke, ’86, to discuss “A Long Petal of the Sea.” Their spirited conversation encompasses ideas of love, home and exile.

21-minute Listen

“In this time, we always see people as The Other. And they are scapegoats for everything — the refugees, the migrants, the asylum-seekers … but refugees have always been moving on the planet. This is not going to stop, it’s going to increase.” —Isabel Allende

Extra Credit

Spotify Playlist

Isabel Allende includes many musical references in her book. Characters study classical music, dance the sardana, raise their voices in revolutionary songs, sing together in the languages of their homelands, and are serenaded with national anthems. Get a taste of this musical landscape with our Spotify playlist!

16 songs

Documentary Film

Professor Elizabeth Hochberg, of the UW’s Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies, studies Latin American literature with a focus on Chilean novels and films from the 1970s. “A very important documentary from the period is Patricio Guzmán’s La Batalla de Chile [The Battle of Chile]. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the Allende period,” she declares.

(UWAA members can sign up for a borrowers card at UW Libraries and check out the DVD!)

Via UW Libraries

Via Scarecrow Video

On YouTube

2026-2027 Reading List

Book Cover: The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue.

Reading Period July 31–Oct. 2

Reading Period Oct. 9–Dec. 11

Reading Period Jan. 2–March 6

Reading Period March 13–May 15

Reading Period May 22–July 24

Reader Benefits

University Book Store

Seattle-area readers, save 20% on “A Long Petal of the Sea!” Visit Barnes & Noble at University Book Store (located on The Ave) and mention the UW Alumni Book Club discount at checkout.

Seattle Arts & Lectures

UWAA members and book club participants save 20% on tickets for all events in the Seattle Arts & Lectures 2026/27 season! Use promo code UWAA20 to save on in-person and online passes. See the calendar of events.

University Libraries

UWAA members are eligible for a free UW Libraries Borrower’s Card.

Up Next

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Reading Period: Jan. 2–March 6, 2027

In this 1847 novel, the lovely Catherine is forced to choose between her well-meaning husband and Healthcliff, the dangerous man she has loved since she was young. Brace yourselves for betrayal and terrible revenge! A classic tale of how love can transgress authority, societal rules — and even death.

→ We’re teaming up with the UW’s Department of English on this book!

Previous Reads

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Reading Period: July 31–Oct. 2, 2026

Readers’ Choice! A young woman in 18th-century France feels trapped by an arranged marriage and the limited horizons of her backwater village. In a moment of despair, she makes a magical bargain that lets her live forever — while always being forgotten be everyone she meets. She struggles to adapt as the centuries tick slowly by, until she crosses paths with a bookstore clerk who remembers her name.