Comment

Jul 29, 2014
Loved this book for so many reasons. Firstly, it is fiction but it isn’t – the wives of Los Alamos did exist and it was there in New Mexico where specialized scientists gathered from across America to work on a war time project in the 1940s. I always appreciate a novel that entertains while at the same time shares truths with the reader and offers a learning experience. Secondly, the voice of the narrator is unique to most literature yet inclusive in regard to the community Nesbit is writing about. She often uses ‘they’, ‘we’ or shares vignettes from multiple households to demonstrate a sense of sameness but also of subtle differences between the families that are essentially ‘locked down’ in the secret city. Thirdly, it is flat out suspenseful. What in the world are all these scientists doing all day? I didn’t know anything about this part of history so I truly had no idea what fate lay ahead for Los Alamos and the many inhabitants I had gotten to know so well. Lastly, it sparked debate. At the end. You’ll see, if you give it a read.