The Girls of Atomic City, by Denise Kiernan, the lives of woman whom worked in a secret city on a top-secret project at the peak of World War II. The city of Oak Ridge, near Knoxville, TN, was non-existent to all except those whom obtained jobs there. Young woman were brought from towns all over the South to work long days in factories without knowing any information about the work they were doing. Each woman’s story was told in addition to the theories of their work efforts. For example, 18-year-old Helen Ross, previously a diner-drugstore worker in Eagleville, TN was recruited to become a calutron cubicle operator. Helen’s story is different than the other stories told in the book because the point of view her story is told from creates …show more content…
The Girls of Atomic City revealed the details of the secrecy of the project in more detail and provided more information on the woman’s lives. The Manhattan Project was often associated with the words secret and fatal. Originally, the Project was a big secret and no one knew anything about anything. However, through Helen’s story, in addition to the other girls, more details arose regarding the secrecy of the project. First, Oak Ridge during this time period was not located on any maps and only people who had special I.D.’s could enter or leave the town, which was intensely secured. Second, each plant; Y-12, K-25, X-10, and S-50, were responsible for making part of the bomb. However, the workers didn’t know what they were doing or what their efforts were going towards. The workers were supplied with as little information as possible; just enough to sufficiently and safely do their job. Helen knew that she needed to “get as much R as possible so that when the men came to empty the E boxes of the D units there would be a nice amount in there.” In addition, the officials were convinced that everyone was attempting to solve the puzzle. This is why they hired spies, like Helen, to eavesdrop and report every conversation back to them. In addition, each woman’s point of view revealed a different job of the project and provided the different lifestyles that come along with their job. In conclusion, the importance of the secrecy involved with Oak Ridge contributed to the Manhattan