The Girls of Atomic City

The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II

De: Denise Kiernan

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

At the height of World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was home to 75,000 residents, consuming more electricity than New York City. But to most of the world, the town did not exist. Thousands of civilians - many of them young women from small towns across the South - were recruited to this secret city, enticed by solid wages and the promise of war-ending work. Kept very much in the dark, few would ever guess the true nature of the tasks they performed each day in the hulking factories in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. That is, until the end of the war - when Oak Ridge's secret was revealed.

Drawing on the voices of the women who lived it - women who are now in their eighties and nineties - The Girls of Atomic City rescues a remarkable, forgotten chapter of American history from obscurity. Denise Kiernan captures the spirit of the times through these women: their pluck, their desire to contribute, and their enduring courage. Combining the grand-scale human drama of The Worst Hard Time with the intimate biography and often troubling science of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Girls of Atomic City is a lasting and important addition to our country's history.

©2013 Denise Kiernan (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Good book but reading issues.

The story is amazing for any WWII or Cold War buff. The audiobook however has multiple places where the written text and what is said do not match. Nothing significant as best I can tell.

An Interesting look back

Thus is a quick read (listen) but to me, quite interesting. I was born shortly after this story let's to Iak Ridge and it is a good background on the era. The narrator was a good match for the material.

History and a good story

This book tells the history of the production of the Atomic Bomb from the viewpoint of the women who worked at Oak Ridge. It has a mystery quality because you wonder what will happen to each women. In addition, it tell how poorly blacks were treated by the US government at the "reservation".

Accessible History

I love books like this one, that give me a glimpse of history wrapped in personal anecdotes. I found the personal stories, science, and history to be well-balanced. The narrator of this book is one of my favorites as well. I recommended this book to friends.

Understanding the Secret City

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I've already recommended this book and was overjoyed to learn that the person's mother had already read it!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Early in the writing, it became aware that the author was presenting the story with a bit of secrecy, much like the characters were faced with. "Tube Alloy", "G.G", "yellow cake"... the reader becomes anxious to learn the true meaning to these terms but has to stay patient till the conclusion.

Any additional comments?

Having moved to Oak Ridge, I instantly became an "outsider" and not unlike thousands that have moved here for work on the last 70+ years. There is yet a fascination to the town and how it was formed. The author does a marvelous job "painting a picture" with words that helps one know the town and its people better.

Fascinating!

What did you love best about The Girls of Atomic City?

A friend recommended this book and I went into it knowing nothing about the subject. I was hooked after the first chapter, the story is so engaging.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES.

History from those who lived it.

I loved it, it was so well done, with stories of people's lives, but also added in was the story if what was really going on with historical facts that those working there at the time didn't know all the details. A big thank you to the author, Denise Kiernan, for putting this together.

Great piece of history.

This is a fantastic mixture of historical fact and actual memories of the participants. Well written and excellently narrated. Made me feel as if I was actually there.

Very interesting look at start of the atomic age

The books contains the thoughts and lives of several women focusing on their days while at Oakridge, TN. They were black and white, highly educated and high school educated, wealthy and poor, a very diverse group that were motivated to do their very best to helping bring about the end of WWII. They worked & played under a total vail of secrecy on what they were doing.

Interesting look at our history

This no nonsense book is entertaining and informative. Weaving facts and history as told by those who experienced this challenging time period. Very enjoyable and heart wrenching.