20th Century Bombshells: Women & The Bomb

World War II was a time of dramatic change. Modern warfare inspired new technology, including nuclear weapons, and also altered the way Americans thought about gender roles. Women of all social classes began working outside the home and impacting society in new ways. In the books below, American women play dynamic parts in the creation and the aftermath of the atomic bomb.

The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit

Told collectively by the women of Los Alamos, this fictional memoir observes their community before and after the revelation of their work's nuclear nature.

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

Recruited by the US Army during World War II, thousands of Americans moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a secret Project Manhattan city. Despite the intense secrecy surrounding their work, the women of Oak Ridge establish a vibrant community united by their sense of purpose. After the Bomb "Little Boy" is dropped on Hiroshima, the residents of Oak Ridge must come to terms with their role in the development of the atomic bomb.

An Atomic Love Story: The Extraordinary Women in Robert Oppenheimer's Life by Shirley Streshinsky and Patricia Klaus

Notorious for both the creation of the atomic bomb and his connections to the Communist Party, J. Robert Oppenheimer also had quite the tumultuous love life. His relationships with three smart, ambitious, and extraordinary women are chronicled in real-life details with extra attention paid to the dynamic social setting of America in the mid-twentieth century in this well-researched book.

The House at Otowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner and Los Alamos by Peggy Pond Church

Edith Warner lived by herself between Los Alamos and the San Ildefonso Pueblo, but was hardly alone. While she was not integrated into either community, Edith built strong relationships with the people who lived there, including J. Robert Oppenheimer. This character-driven book examines Warner, the friendships she made, and the influence she held in New Mexico.

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Student Librarian Interview: Selections

Here are the four books that I decided to suggest for my student librarian interview on Thursday!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Equipped with more lives than a cat, Ursula uses her numerous resurrections to defy destiny and possibly save mankind as World War II looms ever closer.

Harvest by Jim Crace

The morning after the harvest, two ominous columns of smoke and the unexpected visitors that accompany them disrupt the superficially idyllic life on a small English hamlet.

The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century by Margaret Talbot

Actor Lyle Talbot's story as told by his daughter in this part-family memoir, part-social history vividly recreates the magic of cinema during the golden age of Hollywood.

Between Man and Beast: An Unlikely Explorer, the Evolution Debates, and the African Adventure That Took the Victorian World by Storm by Monte Reel

Scientist and adventurer Paul Du Chaillu hunts the legendary gorilla for three years in the African jungles to fast track his career and unintentionally fuels the raging evolution debates.

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Student Librarian Interview!

I have an interview coming up next week! That's right, an interview to be a REAL LIVE LIBRARIAN! I'm ridiculously excited. If I get the position, I'll be working 8 hours per week at a retirement community near the University of Washington as their house librarian. I'll be responsible for acquisitions, cataloging, readership advisory, shelving, weeding, creating presentations, and leading the library committee -- generally managing the 2,500+ volume reading library. I really want to go check out their library in person, but I'm not sure how they would feel about visitors not visiting their residents...

For part of my interview, I need to select four books for the library to consider purchasing, two fiction and two nonfiction. The books need to have been published within the past six months (November 2012 forward). I was given some demographic information (average age 88, military service, college degrees, etc.) about the residents as well as the library's acquisitions focus (critical acclaim, best sellers, large print, popular or local authors, etc.). I've been doing some looking around and I've started building up a list. I'll spend tomorrow and probably Sunday refining it, but as of 9:26pm on April 26th, this is what I've got. Not knowing what their library is like now is sure making this tough!

Fiction:
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Middle C by William H. Gass
All That Is by James Salter
Harvest by Jim Crace
The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro (October 2012)
Snapper by Brian Kimberling (added to the list 4/28)
Daddy's Gone A Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark (added to the list 4/28)

Nonfiction:
The Entertainer by Margaret Talbot
Artful by Ali Smith
The Generals by Thomas E. Ricks (September 2012)
The Story of Ain't by David Skinner (October 2012! Augh!)
Between Man & Beast by Monte Reel (added to the list 4/27)

Maybe they'll even let me start/join a knitting circle. Books and knitting? All of my dreams fulfilled!

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