Uncle Anton's Atomic Bomb

by Ian Woollen

Spring, 1951. The Cold War. Two fresh college graduates renew a childhood acquaintance on a long train ride home to Indianapolis. Embers ignite. Mary Grace Stark is about to embark on her first State Department posting in Moscow. Ward Wangert III reluctantly returns to his family business, after turning down a job offer from He Who Remains Classified, a powerful friend at the C.I.A. A few months later, while supervising a bomb shelter project, Ward receives an emergency summons from Moscow. He travels behind the Iron Curtain to rescue Mary from a diplomatic debacle. The couple decides to wed, even though Mary won't say who fathered her unborn child. Ward and Mary produce two more sons and struggle to maintain their standing in the deteriorating rust-belt city of Indianapolis. Their family saga, which spans the latter half of the American Century, is a tragicomic mix of upper-crust romance, sibling warfare, boarding school drama, and C.I.A. skullduggery.

406 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2014

Reviews

[Dotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, compelling story - Woolen's writing reminds me of early John Irving. It was especially fun to read about the two places where I've lived for most of my life, Southern Indiana and Coastal Maine.

Here's what Amazon.com says about it:
Spring, 1951. The Cold War. Two fresh college graduates renew a childhood acquaintance on a long train ride home to Indianapolis. Embers ignite. Mary Grace Stark is about to embark on her first State Department posting in Moscow. Ward Wangert III reluctantly returns to his family business, after turning down a job offer from He Who Remains Classified, a powerful friend at the C.I.A. A few months later, while supervising a bomb shelter project, Ward receives an emergency summons from Moscow. He travels behind the Iron Curtain to rescue Mary from a diplomatic debacle. The couple decides to wed, even though Mary won't say who fathered her unborn child. Ward and Mary produce two more sons and struggle to maintain their standing in the deteriorating rust-belt city of Indianapolis. Their family saga, which spans the latter half of the American Century, is a tragicomic mix of upper-crust romance, sibling warfare, boarding school drama, and C.I.A. skullduggery.

[Liza Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt like relatives. The writing was intelligent, funny, and conveyed complex relationships through precise detail and language.

[Jay C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read this for a book club meeting. It was a big hit with the club, and the author graciously drove up to Indy from Bloomington to join us. He was a big hit with the club as well.

[Tarang Anthwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my book club. It is an awesome read and the author's writing style is very smooth. Set in Indianapolis beginning in the 50s all the way to the 90s, it follows a family and their day to day doings. The Cold War era lingers in the background and weaves in and out of the story line. The author does not overwhelm with any aspect of the story and its a very interesting read as you go further and further into the book. It is essentially a family saga that starts with the protagonists meeting as fresh college graduates and follows their story as they get married, have kids and then the lives of the kids, how the kids each go their separate ways and then a singular incident brings them back as a family. I remember thinking while reading the book, "I don't know why I am reading this family drama but I want to know what happens with these kids!"

As somebody living in Indianapolis currently, it was nice to read about some of the places I know in the city. I was also left wondering how much of it was true during that era. The author who lives in Bloomington was kind enough to accept our invitation and meet the members of the book club! It was awesome to have read the book, loved it and get to talk to the author about it - what inspired the story, who are the different characters in the book based on from his personal life, the writing process! Definitely recommend reading it!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book, full of keen details that carry you through several decades of family life and American history. Mary, the remarkable mother of the three Wangert boys, becomes a therapist in midlife, interested in "The Secret of Secrets." The book looks at what keeps a family connected, even when secrets are dropped like a bomb in dramatic or even traumatic ways.