The Girls of Atomic City

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

By: Denise Kiernan

Narrated by: 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.

Great historical read!

Starts slow but very interesting. There are many characters to keep straight, but you feel very emotionally attached to them by the end. Very insightful, I'm glad I read it!

Great History

Great telling of little known history of an epic time in history, very well read and very well performed on Audible, well worth the listen.

East Tennesseans must read

Fascinating story of what took place in our back yard! The two museums in Oak Ridge prompted me to want to read this book and it exceeded my expectations! If you liked Hidden Figures you will love this book. Enjoy!

Gripping and Fascinating Atomic History

Loved it and terrific performance. Would like to know better how these controversial events affected the main people going forward in their lives. Also, would have liked to have a chapter on how each person's job fit into the greater whole of the overall project once it was publicly revealed.

An amazing story!

Young people should listen or read about what so many did to ensure the peace and prosperity they now enjoy!

Better to read the book

If you could sum up The Girls of Atomic City in three words, what would they be?

Unknown history for me

If you’ve listened to books by Denise Kiernan before, how does this one compare?

This is my first

What about Cassandra Campbell’s performance did you like?

She always does well. I really like the way she speaks, the way she pronounces words.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

US Secrets from WWII

Any additional comments?

Actually, I think it would have been better to read this book rather than listen to it, because it was hard to keep up with the characters. But, I liked it very much, and before this book, I had no idea that the Atom bomb was mostly built in Tennessee and by women. I thought it was all done in New Mexico. I had no idea of its immense expense, and that thousands and thousands of people were involved who didn't know the product they were making!.

great book and great narrator!

this book had the perfect balance of history, science, and heart! I highly recommend it!

What a great fun educational story?

I was horrified by some of the things I learned as fascinated by others. Fantastic Nervation is always.

About the women

And the men of OakRidge, the reservation. A must read for anyone interested in the Manhattan project and WWII.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Retirement is a wonderful thing. You have time to read about subjects that interest you. Those subjects, for me, have always been about HISTORY OF ALL KINDS. Since my dad, from Tennessee, was in the Pacific Theater of War during WWII, this topic has always been number one. Diane Kiernan captured the personalities and the roots of the people from all over the US who traveled to Tennessee to work at THE SECRET CITY of Oakridge. Further she told the story of a first— the invention of the bombs, the surrender of the Japanese, and the end of World War II. GREAT BOOK. Thank you so much.