The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan (2013 nonfiction)

In 1942, the U.S. Government began hiring workers and constructing an industrial town that for the next several years would remain a huge secret. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, also known as “Site X” occupied up to 60,000 acres and employed 75,000 people. Its sole purpose was the manufacture of a weapon to end World
War II. Most of the workers were women. Using facts gained through interviews, records, and family memorabilia, Kiernan chronicles the specific histories of some
of these women and the general history of Site X and the development of the atomic bomb. No matter how you feel about the ultimate use of their work, the story of these women and of Site X and its tough living and working conditions makes interesting reading. Kiernan is additionally able to describe the story of the discovery of nuclear fission and processing of uranium (called “Tubealloy” for the course of the Manhattan Project) in terms that most laymen can understand. Recommended.

Reviewed by Ginger Russell