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Atomic Family
A South Carolina family endures one life-shattering day in 1961 in a town that lies in the shadow of a nuclear bomb plant.
It’s November 1, 1961, in a small town in South Carolina, and nuclear war is coming. Nine-year-old Wilson Porter believes this with every fiber of his being. He prowls his neighborhood for Communists and studies fallout pamphlets and the habits of his father, a scientist at the nuclear plant in town.
Meanwhile, his mother Nellie covertly joins an anti-nuclear movement led by angry housewives—and his father, Dean, must decide what to do with the damning secrets he’s uncovered at the nuclear plant. When tragedy strikes, the Porter family must learn to confront their fears—of the world and of each other.
It’s November 1, 1961, in a small town in South Carolina, and nuclear war is coming. Nine-year-old Wilson Porter believes this with every fiber of his being. He prowls his neighborhood for Communists and studies fallout pamphlets and the habits of his father, a scientist at the nuclear plant in town.
Meanwhile, his mother Nellie covertly joins an anti-nuclear movement led by angry housewives—and his father, Dean, must decide what to do with the damning secrets he’s uncovered at the nuclear plant. When tragedy strikes, the Porter family must learn to confront their fears—of the world and of each other.
263 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2023
42 people are currently reading
8072 people want to read
About the author
Ciera Horton McElroy
3 books44 followersCiera Horton McElroy (b. 1995) was raised in Orlando, Florida. She holds a BA from Wheaton College and an MFA from the University of Central Florida. Her work has appeared in AGNI, Bridge Eight, Iron Horse Literary Review, the Crab Orchard Review, and Saw Palm, among others. She currently lives in St. Louis with her husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
April 29, 2024
"Sometimes there are more important things than being on the right side of history."
Really, even when you work at a nuclear facility and have found evidence of ground and water contamination because of poorly disposed waste? Even when your 10 year old son is pretty sure he'll never grow up and thinks nuclear war is imminent? Even when your boss says you'll be fired if you publish this report?
It's 1961 and Dean, his unhappy, lonely wife Nellie, and his very much disturbed young son Winston live in Oakleigh, SC. Dean works at the local bomb plant and worries constantly. This novel takes place in a 24 hour period in the life of this town and this family, and you quickly realize that you might have a hard time putting this one down. The incidents are grounded in fact. The author's grandfather worked at the bomb plant and her father was raised in Aiken, represented by Oakleigh, so you might say she had inside information on the mood of the town.
There really was a nuclear bomb dropped in Aiken in 1958. It contained radioactive material, but was not armed with a warhead. It never exploded, but contaminated the ground for miles around. I don't know why I never heard of it, but my neighbors who grew up in Charleston sure do remember it. We are about 2 hours from the Savannah River site, a nuclear plant still here, and they knew kids whose fathers worked there. All I had to do was mention this book and what it was about and I was inundated with details and memories of how scary it was at the time. The author also did a fantastic job of recreating the feel of the era and how innocent we all were when it came to trusting the government.
I was 8 years old in 1961, and don't remember bomb shelters and atomic drills in schools. I was in a NC tobacco farming community, so it's possible there were other things to worry about there. Thank goodness I was never infected with the fear of "the Red Scare", Commies infiltrating our communities, or instant total annihilation, but poor Winston was, and had made himself a one man watchdog committee, which leads to the events of this one day.
As I said, this was hard to put down while I was reading, and even harder to let go of now that I'm finished. For whatever reason, my library system doesn't carry a copy of this book. I had to use Interlibrary loan to find a copy. I find that amazing for a recent book that is so well written about a nearby nuclear facility.
Really, even when you work at a nuclear facility and have found evidence of ground and water contamination because of poorly disposed waste? Even when your 10 year old son is pretty sure he'll never grow up and thinks nuclear war is imminent? Even when your boss says you'll be fired if you publish this report?
It's 1961 and Dean, his unhappy, lonely wife Nellie, and his very much disturbed young son Winston live in Oakleigh, SC. Dean works at the local bomb plant and worries constantly. This novel takes place in a 24 hour period in the life of this town and this family, and you quickly realize that you might have a hard time putting this one down. The incidents are grounded in fact. The author's grandfather worked at the bomb plant and her father was raised in Aiken, represented by Oakleigh, so you might say she had inside information on the mood of the town.
There really was a nuclear bomb dropped in Aiken in 1958. It contained radioactive material, but was not armed with a warhead. It never exploded, but contaminated the ground for miles around. I don't know why I never heard of it, but my neighbors who grew up in Charleston sure do remember it. We are about 2 hours from the Savannah River site, a nuclear plant still here, and they knew kids whose fathers worked there. All I had to do was mention this book and what it was about and I was inundated with details and memories of how scary it was at the time. The author also did a fantastic job of recreating the feel of the era and how innocent we all were when it came to trusting the government.
I was 8 years old in 1961, and don't remember bomb shelters and atomic drills in schools. I was in a NC tobacco farming community, so it's possible there were other things to worry about there. Thank goodness I was never infected with the fear of "the Red Scare", Commies infiltrating our communities, or instant total annihilation, but poor Winston was, and had made himself a one man watchdog committee, which leads to the events of this one day.
As I said, this was hard to put down while I was reading, and even harder to let go of now that I'm finished. For whatever reason, my library system doesn't carry a copy of this book. I had to use Interlibrary loan to find a copy. I find that amazing for a recent book that is so well written about a nearby nuclear facility.
May 2, 2024
4+ ☢️ ☢️ ☢️ ☢️
This is a sad and foreboding read, especially in these current times of atomic escalation. I wasn't in the mood for more sad and thought maybe not for me.
Then the story took off and I couldn't put it down.
The talented writing, a plot based on real events, overruled my emotions.
Well done, tension filled pages, brought back childhood memories of nuclear bomb drills at school. Drop and cover under our desktops would save us? What were they thinking—surely a ruse?
We children were tasked with bringing brown bags filled with canned food and water to store at school in case we couldn't make it home. The impending sense of doom was everywhere. My heart was right there with little Wilson Porter.
Today I live close to a nuclear power plant and recall how nervous we all were after 9/11. They built it right on top of the San Andreas Fault line (again, 🤔)?
I'm surprised this hasn't received more attention from readers, it's that good. But, yes, not a feel good story at all.
"This country is not ready for people to critique it."
This is a sad and foreboding read, especially in these current times of atomic escalation. I wasn't in the mood for more sad and thought maybe not for me.
Then the story took off and I couldn't put it down.
The talented writing, a plot based on real events, overruled my emotions.
Well done, tension filled pages, brought back childhood memories of nuclear bomb drills at school. Drop and cover under our desktops would save us? What were they thinking—surely a ruse?
We children were tasked with bringing brown bags filled with canned food and water to store at school in case we couldn't make it home. The impending sense of doom was everywhere. My heart was right there with little Wilson Porter.
Today I live close to a nuclear power plant and recall how nervous we all were after 9/11. They built it right on top of the San Andreas Fault line (again, 🤔)?
I'm surprised this hasn't received more attention from readers, it's that good. But, yes, not a feel good story at all.
"This country is not ready for people to critique it."
March 3, 2023
Thanks to @blairpublisher for an ARC of #AtomicFamily.
𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 by debut author Ciera Horton McElroy was an easy, easy five star read for me. Taking place over a single day, this is the story of a family living in the midst of, and fully emerged in The Atomic Age. Nellie, Dean and their son, Wilson, live in a small South Carolina town whose chief employer is a nuclear bomb plant.
It’s 1961 and everyone is fixated on the atom bomb, the lingering aftermath of WWII, communists threats, the Cold War, and how to survive in this hostile new world. There are lessons and drills at school, warning posters around town, radio stations dedicated to such an emergency, and bomb shelters like the one buried in the Porter’s own backyard. No one is more obsessed than 10-year old Wilson. It’s all he thinks about, dreams about, worries about, talks about, and wants to prepare for. Meanwhile, his mom is remote, vaguely unhappy, and lost in her marriage. Worse still, his distant father works at the bomb plant, monitoring the environmental effects, but unable to communicate anything he does with his lonely family. Wilson longs for their affection, their attention.
McElroy did an amazing job telling 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, alternating between the three characters’ perspectives. Layer by layer, she built this into an incredible story that fit perfectly in the era, one I've come to really enjoy. Her writing was absolutely stellar and I cannot recommend this book more highly. I already believe you’ll be seeing it on one (or more) of my end-of-year “best” lists. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 by debut author Ciera Horton McElroy was an easy, easy five star read for me. Taking place over a single day, this is the story of a family living in the midst of, and fully emerged in The Atomic Age. Nellie, Dean and their son, Wilson, live in a small South Carolina town whose chief employer is a nuclear bomb plant.
It’s 1961 and everyone is fixated on the atom bomb, the lingering aftermath of WWII, communists threats, the Cold War, and how to survive in this hostile new world. There are lessons and drills at school, warning posters around town, radio stations dedicated to such an emergency, and bomb shelters like the one buried in the Porter’s own backyard. No one is more obsessed than 10-year old Wilson. It’s all he thinks about, dreams about, worries about, talks about, and wants to prepare for. Meanwhile, his mom is remote, vaguely unhappy, and lost in her marriage. Worse still, his distant father works at the bomb plant, monitoring the environmental effects, but unable to communicate anything he does with his lonely family. Wilson longs for their affection, their attention.
McElroy did an amazing job telling 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, alternating between the three characters’ perspectives. Layer by layer, she built this into an incredible story that fit perfectly in the era, one I've come to really enjoy. Her writing was absolutely stellar and I cannot recommend this book more highly. I already believe you’ll be seeing it on one (or more) of my end-of-year “best” lists. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 11, 2023
Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Roman Howell; Megan Tusing
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
Complete audiobook review
One day in the life of a family from South Carolina, in the time of the Atomic age. Dean Porter is a soil scientist who works in a nuclear bomb plant. His wife, Nellie, is a housewife. She is unhappy and, like many other mothers in the neighborhood, concerned about the nuclear threat and doesn’t want to live so near the plant. Their 9-year-old son Wilson often eavesdrops on adult conversations and reads pamphlets about nuclear threats and communism. He has a vivid imagination and includes all of this in his games.
Three POVs: Nellie, Dean, and Wilson. All are very good and distinct. Also, Wilson’s character is believable.
There are two narrators, Megan Tusing for Nellie and Roman Howell for Dean and Willson. Maybe it would be better if the narrator for Wilson would be someone younger.
Thanks to Tantor Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
Complete audiobook review
One day in the life of a family from South Carolina, in the time of the Atomic age. Dean Porter is a soil scientist who works in a nuclear bomb plant. His wife, Nellie, is a housewife. She is unhappy and, like many other mothers in the neighborhood, concerned about the nuclear threat and doesn’t want to live so near the plant. Their 9-year-old son Wilson often eavesdrops on adult conversations and reads pamphlets about nuclear threats and communism. He has a vivid imagination and includes all of this in his games.
Three POVs: Nellie, Dean, and Wilson. All are very good and distinct. Also, Wilson’s character is believable.
There are two narrators, Megan Tusing for Nellie and Roman Howell for Dean and Willson. Maybe it would be better if the narrator for Wilson would be someone younger.
Thanks to Tantor Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
March 1, 2023
I tore through this book in two days! I read a lot of historical fiction and Atomic Family is my favourite kind - a blend of insight into a period I didn’t know much about prior, paired with surprising contemporary parallels and thoughtful reflection on timeless human struggles. Particularly relevant are the explorations of propaganda, war, the hidden effects of environmental pollution, and the ruptures in relationship created (and revealed) by these seemingly external factors. The characters are well fleshed out and the decision to have each of the three characters narrate portions of the story works incredibly well - particularly from the perspective of the son Wilson. The pacing of the story is also exquisite, unlike some books that drag in the middle, Atomic Family is a page turner until the very end! One of my top recommended books of the year.
September 25, 2022
BEST BOOK IVE READ IN YEARS
I hadn’t been able to get into fiction since I lost the habit in college, but this book changed that!! Atomic Family is so eloquently written with incredible characters that feel so real.
A must read!
I hadn’t been able to get into fiction since I lost the habit in college, but this book changed that!! Atomic Family is so eloquently written with incredible characters that feel so real.
A must read!
May 3, 2024
This is one of the bleakest books that I've read in years. The characters were all joyless and unappealing, and the subject matter, that the nuclear arms industry is bad, was drilled into the reader on every page. To be honest, I would prefer fingernails on chalkboards.
January 7, 2023
This book held me captive from first to last page. I cannot recommend it enough.
February 10, 2023
An enjoyable, quick read. Some books are exactly as long as they need to be, and this one found the perfect balance for the story being told. I got to know the characters enough to be moved by what they went through and, while I feel like there were some important things left up in the air by the ending, it didn't feel truncated or cut short.
I liked having two narrators for the adults, but I found it odd to have the same narrator for the child's sections. He did an excellent job with the voices but having a kid's POV come from a very grown man was a little jarring given how perfectly cast the parents were (that said, I probably would've been annoyed by a child narrator, so there's really no winning with that criticism...)
Personal anecdote: I was listening while working on a jigsaw puzzle, something I *never* normally do. Right after I placed a piece, the narrator said a character set something down "as carefully as placing a puzzle piece." Mind=blown.
I liked having two narrators for the adults, but I found it odd to have the same narrator for the child's sections. He did an excellent job with the voices but having a kid's POV come from a very grown man was a little jarring given how perfectly cast the parents were (that said, I probably would've been annoyed by a child narrator, so there's really no winning with that criticism...)
Personal anecdote: I was listening while working on a jigsaw puzzle, something I *never* normally do. Right after I placed a piece, the narrator said a character set something down "as carefully as placing a puzzle piece." Mind=blown.
February 21, 2023
4.5*
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this audiobook
It’s November 1, 1961, in a small town in South Carolina, and nuclear war is coming. Ten-year-old Wilson Porter believes this with every fiber of his being. He prowls his neighborhood for Communists and studies fallout pamphlets and the habits of his father, a scientist at the nuclear plant in town.
Meanwhile, his mother Nellie covertly joins an anti-nuclear movement led by angry housewives—and his father, Dean, must decide what to do with the damning secrets he’s uncovered at the nuclear plant. When tragedy strikes, the Porter family must learn to confront their fears—of the world and of each other.
I loved this book and found it complemented by my recent read of The Half Life of Valery K another Historical Fiction book but at a Russian nuclear facility. The story of a family in 1961 America was eye opening and heart aching, such a period of fear and uncertainty between WWII and the Vietnam War. I could recommend this for anyone who wants a look back into time.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this audiobook
It’s November 1, 1961, in a small town in South Carolina, and nuclear war is coming. Ten-year-old Wilson Porter believes this with every fiber of his being. He prowls his neighborhood for Communists and studies fallout pamphlets and the habits of his father, a scientist at the nuclear plant in town.
Meanwhile, his mother Nellie covertly joins an anti-nuclear movement led by angry housewives—and his father, Dean, must decide what to do with the damning secrets he’s uncovered at the nuclear plant. When tragedy strikes, the Porter family must learn to confront their fears—of the world and of each other.
I loved this book and found it complemented by my recent read of The Half Life of Valery K another Historical Fiction book but at a Russian nuclear facility. The story of a family in 1961 America was eye opening and heart aching, such a period of fear and uncertainty between WWII and the Vietnam War. I could recommend this for anyone who wants a look back into time.
February 14, 2023
Beautiful. Heart-wrenching. Richly layered. A slice of history that wrestles with the consequences of fear, the daily choices we make, and where love fits in. This is a novel that I’ll be reading again and again.
June 25, 2023
3.5/5
Set in 1961 in a small town in South Carolina where many of the townspeople are employed by a nuclear bomb plant where they test and produce components for atomic bombs. This at a point in the Cold War where people were living in the shadows of McCarthyism/the Red scare and with the everyday threat of nuclear bomb strikes.
Set over the course of 24 hours Atomic Family tells the story of a day in the life of an ordinary family whose lives will change forever: Dean, a soil scientist at the plant with safety concerns; his wife, Nellie, who is discontent with her role as a housewife and mother; and their 10-year-old son, Wilson, who is experiencing increasing anxiety/paranoia over the constant threats they face.
Atomic Family is a quick read that gives great insight into what it was like living through such a time of fear and uncertainty, recalling a piece of the past often overlooked when we glance back nostalgically. There are certainly echoes to be heard and lessons to be applied to our own present period of fear and uncertainty.
Set in 1961 in a small town in South Carolina where many of the townspeople are employed by a nuclear bomb plant where they test and produce components for atomic bombs. This at a point in the Cold War where people were living in the shadows of McCarthyism/the Red scare and with the everyday threat of nuclear bomb strikes.
Set over the course of 24 hours Atomic Family tells the story of a day in the life of an ordinary family whose lives will change forever: Dean, a soil scientist at the plant with safety concerns; his wife, Nellie, who is discontent with her role as a housewife and mother; and their 10-year-old son, Wilson, who is experiencing increasing anxiety/paranoia over the constant threats they face.
Atomic Family is a quick read that gives great insight into what it was like living through such a time of fear and uncertainty, recalling a piece of the past often overlooked when we glance back nostalgically. There are certainly echoes to be heard and lessons to be applied to our own present period of fear and uncertainty.
tbr-not-owned
January 11, 2023Recommended by Susie Boutry
February 17, 2023
The synopsis of Atomic Family by Ciera Horton McElroy appealed to me immediately. It sounded like the perfect blend of historical fiction and family drama - just the way I like it. I was especially excited about the 1960s timeframe because it’s a decade that gets skipped over in a lot of the historical fiction that I’ve been reading recently. The story is set in a small town in South Carolina with a nuclear bomb plant looming in it’s outskirts. Yikes, right? I honestly haven’t read much about the Cold War era, so it was refreshing to learn more about what life was like back then. As soon as I started listening, I really zeroed in on the style of the writing, and was pleasantly surprised by how impressive it was. I still can’t believe it’s a debut! The author obviously did her research.
If you do plan on reading Atomic Family, I highly recommend skipping the audio version, and sticking with the physical book itself. There’s a lot of timeline jumping that I found confusing while listening, and believe that I could’ve kept better track of if I had the print copy in front of me. Also, the voice of the male narrator was a little too drab and monotone for my liking. The female narrator was phenomenal though, and I found myself hoping and waiting for her turn to speak again.
Overall, I was impressed with this debut. The writing was solid, the pacing was on point, and the characters were well-developed. The middle felt a tad scattered and messy at times with the timeline hopping, but I’ll definitely try this author again in the future. I’m going with 3.5/5 stars for my rating, but honestly believe that it would’ve been higher if I read the physical book, rather than listened to the audio version. Atomic Family comes out on February 28th!
If you do plan on reading Atomic Family, I highly recommend skipping the audio version, and sticking with the physical book itself. There’s a lot of timeline jumping that I found confusing while listening, and believe that I could’ve kept better track of if I had the print copy in front of me. Also, the voice of the male narrator was a little too drab and monotone for my liking. The female narrator was phenomenal though, and I found myself hoping and waiting for her turn to speak again.
Overall, I was impressed with this debut. The writing was solid, the pacing was on point, and the characters were well-developed. The middle felt a tad scattered and messy at times with the timeline hopping, but I’ll definitely try this author again in the future. I’m going with 3.5/5 stars for my rating, but honestly believe that it would’ve been higher if I read the physical book, rather than listened to the audio version. Atomic Family comes out on February 28th!
March 20, 2024
Mixed reactions to this book. It was an interesting look at the angst and anxieties of life during the Cold War. I’d never really given thought to how children at the time reacted to “duck and cover” drills and building bomb shelters in their back yards. However, I thought the book wandered at times which led to a lower rating. This is NOT a happy book by any means so be warned.
March 17, 2023
This is a story of a family in a small town in South Carolina who’s predominant enterprise is around a nuclear plant in the midst of the Cold War. This story has lingered with me and I continue to think about the characters. I enjoyed the different POVs and thought the author portrayed a interesting and uncommonly shown version of motherhood. I recommend this story in print. The audio narration was fine; however, there was a quality to it that pulled me out of the story. When I was listening to the story, I was hooked and didn’t want to stop; however, I didn’t feel drawn back to in when I was away from it and I think it had to do with the narration. 3.75 stars rounded up. Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.
October 14, 2025
Really impressive debut novel from an author to watch. Beautiful writing though it's a depressing subject. The author did a fantastic job of putting this reader smack dab into the Cold War period, specifically the days of October 31 and November 1, 1961.
The "atomic family" of the novel consists of Dean, who is a scientist at the nuclear plant who begins to feel guilty about his part in things; Nellie, who is unhappy and dreaming of more out of life, including joining an anti-nuclear protest; and Wilson, their 10 year-old son who is obsessed with finding commies and surviving the coming nuclear bombs.
Quick read with short chapters that change POVs between the characters. Hard to put this one down.
4.5 stars.
The "atomic family" of the novel consists of Dean, who is a scientist at the nuclear plant who begins to feel guilty about his part in things; Nellie, who is unhappy and dreaming of more out of life, including joining an anti-nuclear protest; and Wilson, their 10 year-old son who is obsessed with finding commies and surviving the coming nuclear bombs.
Quick read with short chapters that change POVs between the characters. Hard to put this one down.
4.5 stars.
February 20, 2023
Oh my goodness what a plot - this was so addictive and thoughtful I really just needed to keep listening but I needed to take breaks to think about it. When I was growing up in Australia I remember the yellow peril and there was talk about bunkers etc but listening to the personal lives of people in the post bombing era and the McCarthy era was so fascinating and the impact on their psyche. The narration really suited it - both voices (just wish there was one for Wilson as well).
This is one of the best audio books have listened to for ages.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
This is one of the best audio books have listened to for ages.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
April 26, 2024
Don't let the number of pages fool you into thinking this book will be an "easy read." It is not an easy read. This book is sad. Very sad. If I didn't have to read it for book club, I wouldn't have forced myself to finish it.
Warning, do not read this book if you feeling sad. You will feel worse about the world at the end.
The writing is beautiful. Here's one of my favorite parts:
"She has the disorienting sense of waking up. As though she's been living a dream. As though she's been submerged in an underground shelter lined up clothes and drapes from Sears all for her. She wakes up and remembers with searing clarity all the things she had once dreamed of, before the house on Brunnell Street, before she fell in love, with a man who bent his head to study the earth.
Today she stands with women. Today she has two hundred dollars in her pocket, and her protest has just begun." (pg. 129)
Warning, do not read this book if you feeling sad. You will feel worse about the world at the end.
The writing is beautiful. Here's one of my favorite parts:
"She has the disorienting sense of waking up. As though she's been living a dream. As though she's been submerged in an underground shelter lined up clothes and drapes from Sears all for her. She wakes up and remembers with searing clarity all the things she had once dreamed of, before the house on Brunnell Street, before she fell in love, with a man who bent his head to study the earth.
Today she stands with women. Today she has two hundred dollars in her pocket, and her protest has just begun." (pg. 129)
March 22, 2023
Oh my goodness what a plot - this was so addictive and thoughtful I really just needed to keep listening but I needed to take breaks to think about it. When I was growing up in Australia I remember the yellow peril and there was talk about bunkers etc but listening to the personal lives of people in the post bombing era and the McCarthy era was so fascinating and the impact on their psyche. The narration really suited it - both voices (just wish there was one for Wilson as well).
This is one of the best audio books have listened to for ages.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
This is one of the best audio books have listened to for ages.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.
March 9, 2023
I absolutely loved how this book took a deep dive into a part of history I have never read about - the Cold War - and made the fear, anxiety, and confusion of that time come alive and jump off the pages. I was fascinated by the things I learned! There were themes of war, propaganda, nuclear threats, and environmental damage due to radiation exposure. As mentioned before, I've never read anything on these topics; historical fiction seems to focus quite heavily on WWII, so it was exciting to read about a different era. However, as much as I liked this exploration, there was something lacking in the rest of the book for me. It felt like a much longer book than it actually was (never a good thing) and the characters lacked depth and connection. There were abrupt jumps in the timeline that would catch me off gaurd and require me to refocus my attention which didn't help the flow of the novel. (I do wonder how much of this is simply due to the digital ARC copy I received - it was jumbled, didn't have clear headings/transitions, and different font types interspersed with the title in the middle of sentences. Unfortunatley, it really just lent to a difficult and jumbled reading experience.) I feel like McElroy has promise as an author, but the book needed a tighter edit.
March 1, 2023
This book was phenomenal! Beautiful and haunting. I’m not often a huge historical fiction fan, but this book reeled me in and I finished it in one day! The complexity of each member of the Porter family so beautifully draws you in as a reader, feeling for each character and wondering how the conflict between them, within themselves, and in their community will draw to a conclusion.
April 7, 2023
I don’t know how to rate this. I read it a few days ago and had a very strong reaction to the end. Essentially I hated it. The rest of the book was…eh…I’m actually not an enormous fan of historical fiction and wonder if I’ve been over saturated with all the historical fiction that I’ve read lately. The authenticity of the time seemed spot on. The fear of war and nuclear bombs seemed correct. The dissatisfaction and detachment of being a powerless housewife is understood. The husband who loves and yet is unable to communicate effectively was believable. It felt well researched and well written and still I didn’t have a lot of love for it or for Nellie or Dean, but I proceeded on with it in my dutiful way until the end and then I thought “well I hated that” and now it’s done. But if I hate something because of my experience with the story does that negate the research, writing skill, time or care that the author put in? No. So. Im debating between a 2 and a 3 and since it’s a debut I’m going with a 3.
Reader: Keep your wits about you. Troubled times ahead.
Reader: Keep your wits about you. Troubled times ahead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2023
The JFK quote the author used is sadly, 62 years later still true today. It set the tone for the book perfectly.
"Today, every inhabitant of this planet must contemplate the day when this planet may no longer be habitable. Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident or miscalculation or by madness. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us.
-JFK
Address Before the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York City, September 25, 1961
"Today, every inhabitant of this planet must contemplate the day when this planet may no longer be habitable. Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident or miscalculation or by madness. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us.
-JFK
Address Before the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York City, September 25, 1961
February 26, 2023
***** stars
Wonderfully narrated by Roman Howell (male voices - and thank you for not using a fake young voice for Wilson) and Megan Tusing (female voices)
Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Ciera Horton-McElroy for this great audio ARC edition. Expected publication: February 28, 2023
Publisher: It’s November 1, 1961, in a small town in South Carolina, and nuclear war is coming. Nine-year-old Wilson Porter believes this with every fiber of his being. He prowls his neighborhood for Communists and studies fallout pamphlets and the habits of his father, a scientist at the nuclear plant in town. Meanwhile, his mother Nellie covertly joins an anti-nuclear movement led by angry housewives—and his father, Dean, must decide what to do with the damning secrets he’s recently uncovered at the nuclear plant. When tragedy strikes, the Porter family must learn to confront their fears—of the world and of each other.
My review: This debut novel is so well written and unputdownable, and both narrators made it completely realistic. It is based on a time in the early 1960's when the US was worried about nuclear bombing by the Soviets and therefore created its own hydrogen bomb facility in South Carolina in preparation during the 1950's.
It was so compelling from a character-driven standpoint, as well as historically fascinating. The parents of 9 year old, Wilson Porter, Nellie and Dean, seem to be polar opposites. Nellie is a stuck-at-home bored mother who has never really cared much about mothering even from the time Wilson was an infant, although she loves her boy. Dean served in the US Army in WWII big-time, was raised in this small town on a farm, and is a scientist at the local nuclear plant. He is becoming aware of some of the dangers of his work facility. The Porter family (and others) have already built an air-raid shelter in their yard, where Wilson enjoys playing out his fantasies about the Soviet bombing and his fears of knowing too much overheard information. He believes the bomb will be any day now. Dean knows the shelter will truly be worthless to them if there really is a bomb.
Suddenly, there is a horrible tragedy and it becomes even more prominent than the problems at the plant for Dean Porter, and we readers are sucked into it along with him. The relationships, friendships, and love between the characters are what become the most important things for the characters and for us.
This is an important novel about a frightening time in US history, full of governmental propaganda about nuclear fallout and protection.
Wonderfully narrated by Roman Howell (male voices - and thank you for not using a fake young voice for Wilson) and Megan Tusing (female voices)
Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Ciera Horton-McElroy for this great audio ARC edition. Expected publication: February 28, 2023
Publisher: It’s November 1, 1961, in a small town in South Carolina, and nuclear war is coming. Nine-year-old Wilson Porter believes this with every fiber of his being. He prowls his neighborhood for Communists and studies fallout pamphlets and the habits of his father, a scientist at the nuclear plant in town. Meanwhile, his mother Nellie covertly joins an anti-nuclear movement led by angry housewives—and his father, Dean, must decide what to do with the damning secrets he’s recently uncovered at the nuclear plant. When tragedy strikes, the Porter family must learn to confront their fears—of the world and of each other.
My review: This debut novel is so well written and unputdownable, and both narrators made it completely realistic. It is based on a time in the early 1960's when the US was worried about nuclear bombing by the Soviets and therefore created its own hydrogen bomb facility in South Carolina in preparation during the 1950's.
It was so compelling from a character-driven standpoint, as well as historically fascinating. The parents of 9 year old, Wilson Porter, Nellie and Dean, seem to be polar opposites. Nellie is a stuck-at-home bored mother who has never really cared much about mothering even from the time Wilson was an infant, although she loves her boy. Dean served in the US Army in WWII big-time, was raised in this small town on a farm, and is a scientist at the local nuclear plant. He is becoming aware of some of the dangers of his work facility. The Porter family (and others) have already built an air-raid shelter in their yard, where Wilson enjoys playing out his fantasies about the Soviet bombing and his fears of knowing too much overheard information. He believes the bomb will be any day now. Dean knows the shelter will truly be worthless to them if there really is a bomb.
Suddenly, there is a horrible tragedy and it becomes even more prominent than the problems at the plant for Dean Porter, and we readers are sucked into it along with him. The relationships, friendships, and love between the characters are what become the most important things for the characters and for us.
This is an important novel about a frightening time in US history, full of governmental propaganda about nuclear fallout and protection.
May 6, 2023
Atomic Family by Ciera Horton McElroy is historical fiction that looks at the looming threat of 1960s Cold War through the lens of a small family in South Carolina. Dean is an agronomist at a nuclear power plant who studies the effect of radioactive waste on the soil. His wife Nellie is a housewife who has suffered from depression and possibly alcoholism, and their ten year-old son Wilson is obsessed with protecting their small town from Communists. Atomic Family takes place over 24 hours, during which Nellie and Dean each examine their secret dissatisfactions and longings, and Wilson makes a dramatic gesture to show his patriotism and fearlessness.
The action in Atomic Family goes back and forth between the present and the past, exploring Nellie and Dean’s childhoods and their early marriage. Dean is deeply ambivalent about the plant and is on the verge of exposing the risks posed by the radioactive waste, even knowing the risks such a report will cause his career. Nellie, who feels aimless and without purpose. is recruited by other wives to join an anti-nukes protest, which she does less because of her convictions and more out of boredom. But it shakes it out of her fog, causing her to reflect on her marriage and dissatisfaction with her life. Wilson, meanwhile. is largely ignored by his parents until an accident at school grabs their attention.
I enjoyed this serious, cautionary book, which is not a light or quick read. It opens with a quote from JFK about abolishing weapons that can destroy the earth, and sadly his caution is relevant today, with similar application to climate change. The themes of fear and paranoia that threaded through the book gave it an urgency and bleakness that feel very familiar.
The action in Atomic Family goes back and forth between the present and the past, exploring Nellie and Dean’s childhoods and their early marriage. Dean is deeply ambivalent about the plant and is on the verge of exposing the risks posed by the radioactive waste, even knowing the risks such a report will cause his career. Nellie, who feels aimless and without purpose. is recruited by other wives to join an anti-nukes protest, which she does less because of her convictions and more out of boredom. But it shakes it out of her fog, causing her to reflect on her marriage and dissatisfaction with her life. Wilson, meanwhile. is largely ignored by his parents until an accident at school grabs their attention.
I enjoyed this serious, cautionary book, which is not a light or quick read. It opens with a quote from JFK about abolishing weapons that can destroy the earth, and sadly his caution is relevant today, with similar application to climate change. The themes of fear and paranoia that threaded through the book gave it an urgency and bleakness that feel very familiar.
February 15, 2023
Atomic Family is centered around a family of 3 living in a Southern Carolina small town near the nuclear power plant. Wilson, 10 years old and a product of a nuclear town's upbringing, is a copy-cat of his dad who works as a scientist at the plant, mimicking everything he does and reading every pamphlet about Communists and nuclear fallout. His dad, Dean, found out the plants dirty secret that he's not sure what to do with, and his mom, Nellie, joins a new anti-nuclear movement that is very popular with angry housewives.
This book is moving and powerful. The layers and complexities of the government, power, the truth and real fear about the Cold War aftermath and what a nuclear bomb might just mean for them was a lot to unravel. Dreams/nightmares reveal terrifying images their town after the bomb, and Wilson seems to take it on in a very real way. His parents see his paranoid signs but don't do anything about it until it's too late. It also made me feel as though I was living in the 6o's, with fascinating descriptions and details transporting me directly into that time.
Nellie was a character that I loved reading about. When she went on a shopping spree, pretending there was no trauma or trials, and fantasizing about walking into her home upon her return made me super emotional. (Especially knowing what happened what she was gone!) The love that Dean has for Wilson and his desire to do good gave me so my sympathy for his situation, and then sweet Wilson trying to make sense of the world around him had me wanting to reach into the book to hug him.
This is definitely not the happy redemptive ending I was hoping for, but it was a story of hope through trauma, and of a family that desperately wants to be seen and understood while dealing with their personal demons.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for ALC of Atomic Family!
This book is moving and powerful. The layers and complexities of the government, power, the truth and real fear about the Cold War aftermath and what a nuclear bomb might just mean for them was a lot to unravel. Dreams/nightmares reveal terrifying images their town after the bomb, and Wilson seems to take it on in a very real way. His parents see his paranoid signs but don't do anything about it until it's too late. It also made me feel as though I was living in the 6o's, with fascinating descriptions and details transporting me directly into that time.
Nellie was a character that I loved reading about. When she went on a shopping spree, pretending there was no trauma or trials, and fantasizing about walking into her home upon her return made me super emotional. (Especially knowing what happened what she was gone!) The love that Dean has for Wilson and his desire to do good gave me so my sympathy for his situation, and then sweet Wilson trying to make sense of the world around him had me wanting to reach into the book to hug him.
This is definitely not the happy redemptive ending I was hoping for, but it was a story of hope through trauma, and of a family that desperately wants to be seen and understood while dealing with their personal demons.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for ALC of Atomic Family!
March 19, 2023
💣 ATOMIC FAMILY 💣
(yes I had to use the bomb emojis)
A haunting exposé into the life of a fictional American family living in the very real town of Ellenton, South Carolina, home of a hydrogen bomb plant, during the Cold War, this was a unique and chilling historical fiction read that I will now be recommending to anyone who wants to possibly branch out into lesser fictionalized eras in time.
It follows the points of view of Dean, the father and an agronomist at the local bomb plant, who studies the soil surrounding the areas and discovers devastating secrets; his wife, Nellie, stay-at-home mom and alcoholic who gets involved in the anti-war effort with the local women; and their son, Wilson, who has become increasingly obsessed with and fearful of the mounting paranoia of Communism and the threat of nuclear disaster.
Cleverly written and superbly atmospheric, filled with references to pop culture and imagery of the time, Atomic Family almost had the vibes of a domestic thriller in the sense that the story revolves around a family and there is a creeping sense of dread that spans multiple directions as the reader follows along.
When tragedy strikes, that’s where the emotions and the more human connection with the characters comes into play, and without it, the book would have been more dry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this uncommon and well-researched, thought provoking novel. I feel like it will be on my mind for a while.
4⭐️
(yes I had to use the bomb emojis)
A haunting exposé into the life of a fictional American family living in the very real town of Ellenton, South Carolina, home of a hydrogen bomb plant, during the Cold War, this was a unique and chilling historical fiction read that I will now be recommending to anyone who wants to possibly branch out into lesser fictionalized eras in time.
It follows the points of view of Dean, the father and an agronomist at the local bomb plant, who studies the soil surrounding the areas and discovers devastating secrets; his wife, Nellie, stay-at-home mom and alcoholic who gets involved in the anti-war effort with the local women; and their son, Wilson, who has become increasingly obsessed with and fearful of the mounting paranoia of Communism and the threat of nuclear disaster.
Cleverly written and superbly atmospheric, filled with references to pop culture and imagery of the time, Atomic Family almost had the vibes of a domestic thriller in the sense that the story revolves around a family and there is a creeping sense of dread that spans multiple directions as the reader follows along.
When tragedy strikes, that’s where the emotions and the more human connection with the characters comes into play, and without it, the book would have been more dry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this uncommon and well-researched, thought provoking novel. I feel like it will be on my mind for a while.
4⭐️
April 19, 2025
How lucky I am that this author taught me English Literature in high school. I still remember reading Flannery O'Connor short stories and encountering that niche Southern Gothic genre. Those stories were clearly an inspiration for this haunting story about an atomic family and a nuclear town.
Horton has an incredible ability to suck you in and paint a world with pithy descriptors that don't distract from but instead enhance the world. She tells you what things look like, feel like, sound like, taste like as if it's osmosis, just seeping into your mind as your eyes flit across the page. Things happen slowly, but so many moments occur in those spaces of silence. It's written in present tense, so everything is urgent and current. The characters are dealing with past problems, but they become a 21st century problem when you read it.
When the father asks what their son is dressing up as for Halloween, he phrases it, “what is he this year?” And the wife reflects that it’s hard to pinpoint what their son is.
The wife goes to view jewelry and “Out comes the tray of diamond rings, pressed into velvet, like stars studded to the sky.”
This book reads like a classic that is impossible to summarize for your school paper using Sparknotes because the writing itself is the art. And that cannot be summarized.
Horton has an incredible ability to suck you in and paint a world with pithy descriptors that don't distract from but instead enhance the world. She tells you what things look like, feel like, sound like, taste like as if it's osmosis, just seeping into your mind as your eyes flit across the page. Things happen slowly, but so many moments occur in those spaces of silence. It's written in present tense, so everything is urgent and current. The characters are dealing with past problems, but they become a 21st century problem when you read it.
When the father asks what their son is dressing up as for Halloween, he phrases it, “what is he this year?” And the wife reflects that it’s hard to pinpoint what their son is.
The wife goes to view jewelry and “Out comes the tray of diamond rings, pressed into velvet, like stars studded to the sky.”
This book reads like a classic that is impossible to summarize for your school paper using Sparknotes because the writing itself is the art. And that cannot be summarized.
March 1, 2023
"They fight with turned shoulders and bodies rolled to the far side of the bed. Theirs is a Cold War marriage - the explosion never happens. Anger hovers in the silence. The thought of her turned so far away keeps his mind awake. He can feel the anger radiate off her body like heat from dying coals." (p.56)
In her powerful DEBUT Ciera Horton McElroy has brought a serious historical drama to life with eloquent prose that resonate with truth.
Set in the 1960s, this story revolves around the fictional town of Oakleigh, SC where life in Cold War-era America exists in the shadow of a hydrogen bomb factory. We follow one family, the Porters, over a 24-hour period as they cope with the many ways the nuclear arms race is threatening the safety of their family, town, and way of life. As each chapter rotates POV between family members the reader sees how the characters' manifest their defenses outward, against this unseen, larger nuclear enemy, all while slowly, small explosions erupt within the interior of their family life, causing it to implode and collapse into tragedy.
Atomic Family has earned it's spot as one of the best books of 2023 with rich language, complicated, deep characters, and a story that moves along with a sense of urgency, making it difficult to put down.
In her powerful DEBUT Ciera Horton McElroy has brought a serious historical drama to life with eloquent prose that resonate with truth.
Set in the 1960s, this story revolves around the fictional town of Oakleigh, SC where life in Cold War-era America exists in the shadow of a hydrogen bomb factory. We follow one family, the Porters, over a 24-hour period as they cope with the many ways the nuclear arms race is threatening the safety of their family, town, and way of life. As each chapter rotates POV between family members the reader sees how the characters' manifest their defenses outward, against this unseen, larger nuclear enemy, all while slowly, small explosions erupt within the interior of their family life, causing it to implode and collapse into tragedy.
Atomic Family has earned it's spot as one of the best books of 2023 with rich language, complicated, deep characters, and a story that moves along with a sense of urgency, making it difficult to put down.
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