5.12.2014

When Manhattan came to Tennessee

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II: Denise Kiernan: 9781451617535: Amazon.com: Books

At the height of World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was home to 75,000 residents, and consumed more electricity than New York City, yet it was shrouded in such secrecy that it did not appear on any map. Thousands of civilians, many of them young women from small towns across the U.S., were recruited to this secret city, enticed by the promise of solid wages and war-ending work.

Not your everyday version of the Manhattan Project story, The Girls of Atomic City tells the story of the secret city, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the same time documents the contributions made by women to the workforce during World War II. It’s on the list.

And two novels of World War II recommended by our Midwest and Elsewhere bureau, also added to our reading list:

Once We Were Brothers

and

The Unlikely Spy

We’re reading Brothers now and it’s off to a very promising start at the Chicago Lyric Opera.

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