Starred review from December 19, 2022
McElroy’s powerful debut evokes the atmosphere of early 1960s American Cold War anxiety with the tragic story of a family living near a South Carolina bomb plant. Dean Porter is a lead scientist at the plant, and is increasingly dismayed at the impact of the facility’s radioactive waste on the local environment. His dissatisfied wife, Nellie, who often drinks out of boredom, joins a march against nuclear weapons along with other wives of plant workers. The Porters’ 10-year-old son, Wilson, meanwhile, is obsessed with the inevitable dropping of a bomb and is constantly on the lookout for communists and suspicious activity. Tension spikes between the couple as Dean grapples privately with the moral dilemma of sharing his worrisome research without confiding with Nellie; Nellie tries to process her abandonment by her father, who left when she was a little girl; and Wilson, who is increasingly a secondary consideration to his parents, dangerously ramps up his surveillance efforts. McElroy writes with veracity about the effects of nuclear waste on the land and water, and brings to life the strange mix of terror and naivete of the era. The well-drawn backdrop makes this affecting family drama all the more acute.
June 10, 2024
Not everything is perfect in the Porter household in Clemson, SC. It's 1961, and Dean, a ground soil scientist, is increasingly worried about environmental mistakes at his workplace--a nuclear plant. His wife, Nellie, never a passive mother or housewife, joins a local women's group in protesting against nuclear war, but she still feels incomplete. Their intelligent and obsessive 10-year-old son Wilson absorbs the brunt of his parents' inattentiveness--hiding in their backyard bomb shelter and preparing for the nuclear apocalypse. McElroy's debut is a tightly written family drama that builds tension until the Porters' neuroses and inadequacies terminate in a shocking conclusion. Chapters are written from the point of view of each of the three family members, with Roman Howell smoothly narrating both Dean and his son Wilson. Narrator Megan Tusing voices Nellie's chapters satisfactorily, although listeners may need to keep the volume button readily available because of the frequent changes in volume. VERDICT While historical fiction, the anxiety about pending nuclear disaster present in all the characters is eerily reminiscent of present-day concerns. Perfect for book clubs and fans of historical fiction and family drama.--Sarah Hill
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