Atomic Women: The Untold Stories of the Scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb

On a July morning in 1945, Joan Hinton saw a world-changing explosion: “It was like being at the bottom of an ocean of light.” Hinton, a physicist, was one of the many women scientists integral to the development of the atomic bomb whose stories anchor Montillo’s (Fire on the Track for adults) narrative in two sections. The first, set in Europe, traces the origins of nuclear science, introducing Marie Curie, whose findings “would have... devastating consequences in the rush to build the atomic bomb,” and Lise Meitner, whose theory of fission underpinned the bomb effort. The second section, set in the U.S., focuses on the women scientists developing the bomb, including Hinton. In blunt, declarative prose, Montillo sketches lives and careers. Sexism (“[Meitner] noticed that female students... were tolerated more than included”) and deep ambivalence about the bomb (“How would she be able to live with it herself?”) recur as themes. Nonchronological editorial choices, a full-to-bursting cast of characters, and a tendency to breeze past scientific concepts (including beta decay, Brillouin zones, and even the workings of the bomb itself) without explanation make understanding the scope and impact of these women’s contributions difficult. Still, Montillo’s woman-centered narrative fills a major gap in the popular understanding of how the atomic bomb came to be. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. (May) [/em]