An absorbing novel that radiates historical rigor and emotional astuteness.
A female physicist from an affluent family and a poor engineer begin a fraught romance while working on the Manhattan Project in Robbins’ historical novel.
In 1944, Alice Katz and Caleb Blum begin working on the fiercely secretive Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, under the tutelage of the famous J. Robert Oppenheimer. They have little in common—she has a doctorate in physics and hails from a wildly wealthy background while his Orthodox Jewish family is so destitute he cannot afford to continue his academic studies in engineering. He works for the Special Engineer Detachment, an outfit often looked down upon as a cohort of expendable grunts, while Alice is handpicked by Oppenheimer as one of his “preferred understudies,” though she still contends with the unabashed chauvinism of her male colleagues. Despite the circumstances that separate them, the pair falls deeply in love; the affair is given room to grow when Alice’s fiancé, Warren, dies serving in the war and she subsequently discovers she is pregnant with Caleb’s child. In this powerful historical narrative, the obstacles to the protagonists’ union are legion, including Caleb’s reluctance to disclose the inauspiciousness of his origins. Robbins artfully creates an atmosphere of world-historical dread—only slowly, and with growing horror, do Caleb and Alice learn the full truth of what they are producing at Los Alamos. The story also charts the forlorn plight of Haruki Sato, a Japanese native of Hiroshima whose entire life is haunted by the atomic monstrosity to which both Caleb and Alice contribute. The novel is spangled with sparklingly insightful portraits of major scientific figures like Oppenheimer, Bohr, and Feynman, and the author demonstrates an impressive command of the relevant science as well. This is a moving blend of fact, fiction, and romance.
An absorbing novel that radiates historical rigor and emotional astuteness.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781639108961
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Alcove Press
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
These letters from some important executive Down Below, to one of the junior devils here on earth, whose job is to corrupt mortals, are witty and written in a breezy style seldom found in religious literature. The author quotes Luther, who said: "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." This the author does most successfully, for by presenting some of our modern and not-so-modern beliefs as emanating from the devil's headquarters, he succeeds in making his reader feel like an ass for ever having believed in such ideas. This kind of presentation gives the author a tremendous advantage over the reader, however, for the more timid reader may feel a sense of guilt after putting down this book. It is a clever book, and for the clever reader, rather than the too-earnest soul.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1942
ISBN: 0060652934
Page Count: 53
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1943
A lively, quirky gothic romance for readers who like ghost stories as much as love stories.
The fourth wife of a dreadful lord finds intrigue in the Scottish Highlands.
Nobody wants Genevieve to marry Lord Burnsby, “England’s most boring peer.” He’s almost 70 and has three dead (possibly murdered) wives in his past. But Evie isn’t looking for love; she’s just looking for some stability at her “august age” of 25 and a dowry for her younger sister. Through their hasty wedding and long trek north to his estate in Scotland, she’s determined to make the best of it—until they arrive at the dreary, cold abbey where he resides. Lord Burnsby, it turns out, has been keeping his mistress there, and generally terrorizing everyone around him. Evie also meets the handsome Sir Godric Everley, a lawyer friend of Burnsby’s heir, whom she initially counts as another villain but soon discovers is surprisingly interesting and kind. Faced with a situation for which her years of perfect behavior have left her utterly unprepared, Evie realizes she will have to take charge even if it means acting unladylike. And though her growing confidence brings many good things to the abbey and its residents, it also brings danger, as Evie and Godric begin to uncover decades of secrets. This historical romance is technically a Regency, but more than anything, it’s a gothic tale. Told in the first person from Evie’s perspective, the book stands apart thanks to her dry, knowing voice combined with the haunting yet whimsical nature of Burnsby’s abbey. It’s a moody ghost story, full of plot twists, but it’s also the tale of a strong heroine with a quick wit and a piglet for a pet. There’s plenty of chemistry as Evie’s relationship slowly develops with Godric, but Evie’s personal development is almost as compelling. Though the story takes some time to find its feet, this book is likely to be enjoyed by James’ fans, as it’s one of her best in years.
A lively, quirky gothic romance for readers who like ghost stories as much as love stories.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9781668200056
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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