THE ATOMIC CITY GIRLS by Janet Beard takes place during the last part of WW2 when several lives collide in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the city that doesn't exist, at least not officially.

For eighteen-year-old June Walker, the prospect of working at Oak Ridge is a chance to get away from home. She has no idea what she is actually doing at Oak Ridge other than she's helping the war effort. As she starts an affair with a Jewish physicist, Sam Carter, she starts to realize more and more what they are doing there. At the same time, her roommate Cici is trying her hardest to find a rich man and get away from her past life. African- American construction worker Joe Brewer has left his family behind since the job at Oak Ridge pays well, but being away from his family is hard for him. All these people have their own dreams and goals, but life isn't always easy and things can change in a moment.

I found THE ATOMIC CITY GIRLS to be a very captivating story. There were pictures from Oak Ridge added at the end of every chapter, which was a plus. I really enjoyed finishing a chapter and seeing visuals of Oak Ridge at the end. As for the story, it was fascinating to read about all these strangers whose lives get interwoven with each other. Oak Ridge is a closed-off community, where most people don't seem to know what is going one. However, life must go on and I was fascinated to get a picture of how it could have been. It was with a bit of sadness that I closed the book. I really came to like the characters and, even though the ending felt like a closure, I was sad to see them go.