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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
In this story, Janet Beard writes of the young women during WWII who worked, completely unaware, of making uranium to build the atomic bomb. Learning of the secrecy among all members of a fabricated, military town in Tennessee, and the magnitude everyone took to keep their work largely unknown was fascinating. Beard introduces characters who learn of love and their strengths in the midst of this trying time in US history.
Loved this story about the atomic bomb. I think a few of the characters could have been developed a bit, but overall in interesting and educational easy read.
Story was engaging & good. Was disappointed that it didn’t focus more on the actual women working at the site. The story (stories, really) focused more on male characters than female ones. Felt like she intended to write one story & I wish she had stayed on that path. Also disappointed with the end of June’s story.
I enjoyed this look at Oak Ridge during WWII, especially because I have a family connection. My grandmother worked there in a construction office whole she was in college (from the same home town as June, actually). My grandad came to Oak Ridge as a Chemist just after the bomb dropped and worked in a different building than these characters. My mom and her sister were born there, lived in the gates and just outside the gates for their early childhood.
The story itself was compelling and offers a glimpse of what it might have been like to live and interact with others who also could not talk about their part of the job during this stressful time. My grandad had secrets he couldn't tell about his work even into the 1950s. I felt the struggles were real, the situations believable, and I was looking for resolution to their problems. I'm glad I picked this one up!
The story itself was compelling and offers a glimpse of what it might have been like to live and interact with others who also could not talk about their part of the job during this stressful time. My grandad had secrets he couldn't tell about his work even into the 1950s. I felt the struggles were real, the situations believable, and I was looking for resolution to their problems. I'm glad I picked this one up!
This book was definitely not as exciting as I hoped it would be. It was a lot of nothing happening most of the book and then the last 30 pages or so wrapped it up quickly and were the most exciting. I did learn a lot about Oak Ridge and the fact that this town existed - which is something that I didn't know before I read this book.
I would love to visit the museum and town sometime. The town and the happenings in that town were probably more interesting than half the book.
I would love to visit the museum and town sometime. The town and the happenings in that town were probably more interesting than half the book.
I really enjoyed this. It was a glimpse of a part of WWII that, although the subject of several recent books and movies, I knew very little about. The book was about much more than just the experiences of the girls in Oak Ridge. June and Cici were young women whose job was to monitor levels and dials on a machine they knew nothing about. Joe and Ralph were African Americans living in substandard conditions but making more money doing construction than they ever could farming in Alabama. Sam was a physicist, and one of the few who knew what was really going on. These are just a few of the thousands of people helping to create an atomic bomb and living in a city created solely for that purpose. What was amazing was the level of secrecy - most people there didn't know what was really going on there and how their small part fit into the big picture.
The historical aspect of this was interesting, and since I hadn't heard of the Atomic City before I learned a decent amount. Although when I was three-quarters of the way through, I learned there was a nonfiction book about the Atomic City and I'd rather have read that. On one hand I liked the different perspectives this book included, especially that of Joe, who shed light on what it was like to be a black person supporting the war effort. But the use of "Girls" in the title had me thinking it would be solely about the women and their work, which it wasn't--two of the four POVs were of men, and even when it was from the women's POVs, a lot of it was about their relationships with men. But I still learned stuff and found it interesting, so that's a plus.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
*** I received an advanced copy from Library Thing in exchange for my honest review
I really enjoyed this book. I had never heard of the Oak Ridge project and found the subject fascinating. Although the characters were fictional, I felt as if I could really be there witnessing it all unfold. I feel like anyone who enjoys historical fiction will enjoy this book
I really enjoyed this book. I had never heard of the Oak Ridge project and found the subject fascinating. Although the characters were fictional, I felt as if I could really be there witnessing it all unfold. I feel like anyone who enjoys historical fiction will enjoy this book