Fission: A Novel of Atomic Heartbreak
1943 Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Doris and Rob Friedman live in a small prefab bungalow in a military-style compound with their baby daughter. Newly married, Doris had to put aside her dreams of finishing university and becoming a lawyer or even a concert pianist when Rob, a skilled technologist, was offered a good job to be on a team working on the Manhattan Project. While Doris looks after the household (“dust gets everywhere”), Rob works diligently on the secret project and is often too tired to attend to their marital life. Attractive Doris socializes with the other wives but is shocked when one of them makes extremely antisemitic comments. A smart safety officer visits her regularly on the pretence of taking piano lessons and tries to seduce her. Although lonely Doris falls for his charms, after one indiscretion and other events, she realizes he could be a Soviet spy attempting to use her to obtain atomic secrets. Doris faces a dilemma about whether to report him.
Leslie Schover mentions in her author’s note that her father was a part of the group at Oak Ridge, and “stories of Oak Ridge were very much part of our family lore.” Hence, this novel is heavily based on real events, including some humorous anecdotes. While the overall story of the development of the atomic bomb is well known, this novel offers an interesting behind-the-scenes look, particularly into the women who supported their husbands and were thus part of the team that brought the project to fruition. The novel also points out a significant moment in the project: 67 workers signed a petition requesting that the atomic bomb’s power be shown to the Japanese before its deployment. This novel captures the intense effort and sacrifices it took to develop the nuclear weapon.
