A well-told fictionalized story based on an actual tragic event at one of America's earliest nuclear reactors, located in then-small, sleepy Idaho Falls, Idaho. Seemingly minor (at first) glitches spiral out-of-control with disastrous results in a tale of self-serving sneaky cover-ups, mismanagement and unintended consequences. ( )

Based on a true story about the only fatal nuclear accident in the US. Paul and Nat move to Idaho Falls. He is in the military and will work on one of the country's 1st nuclear reactors. Paul soon discovers the reactor is compromised but his supervisors cover up the problem. He has a major blow out with his supervisor and is sent to the Arctic Circle for 6 months. While he's gone, Nat has a friendship with a local man, Esrom. Rumors start to fly with the supervisor turning the screws on Paul. When Paul returns he takes off after arguing with Nat. He ends up back towards the reactor and discovers it has had a meltdown, trapping his buddies inside. He attempts to rescue them and becomes contaminated. Ironically, Esrom is a firefighter who is also contaminated at the scene. They end up at the same decontamination center. Esrom is released before Paul and Paul enlists him to take his family out of the area. Nat send the girls with Esrom and rescues Paul from the decon center. They end up reconciling, he leaves the army and they relocate to a private reactor site in Illinois. ( )

I can hardly believe this is a debut novel. I love this book so much. First of all, the writing is perfection. The characters are wonderfully flawed, and the plot is a page-turner. She took a true story about a nuclear accident, and fictionalized it...and it was glorious. I cannot recommend this book enough. I can't wait for Williams to write more, because I will eat it up. ( )

Book Flap: “Based on a true story of the only fatal nuclear accident to occur in America, The Longest Night is a deeply moving novel that explores the intricate makeup of a marriage, the shifting nature of trust, and the ways we try to protect the ones we love.”

Paul & Nat Collier, mid-twenties, two kids, 1960 Idaho Falls Idaho

I didn't think it was a spectacular book but this incident is one every North American should be familiar with, so it's worth reading. ( )

4 enthusiastic stars for The Longest Night. This hit most of the things I like in "contemporary" historical fiction. The Colliers could definitely be the Wheeler's 2.0 ([b:Revolutionary Road|48328|Revolutionary Road|Richard Yates|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353721885s/48328.jpg|1235136] by Richard Yates) kicking off the 60s. There's angst, aspiration, desperation and flirtation with ruination on display which made for overall, an engrossing read.

I won't spoil here, but I will say that Nat and Paul's frustrations and mistakes as a couple and individuals were well drawn and I wanted very much to know how or if they would work things out in the end. Paul, with his idealized and frankly, childish view of Nat as it relates to his idea of goodness had an undercurrent of malice that bubbled to the surface a couple times. It wasn't pretty. While I found Nat's feelings for Esrom quite a bit selfish on her part and cruel to both Paul & Esrom, it felt true. I still hoped for good ends for them all and Nat especially, had a good one.

Esrom, our local cowboy/volunteer fireman was too good to be a true. Save his crush on Nat, he didn't have anything that could much be construed as a flaw let alone an actual personality. He's just good. Full stop. On the other side of the street holding the flag for Big Bad's are Mitch and Jeannie Richards (Mitch is Paul's oft drunk and completely derelict of duty Master Sergeant at the reactor site). They have it all really, cravenness, cruelty and are proof enough that opposites don't always attract as these two bullies found one another and have reigned a pain campaign on others and each other for nigh on 20 years. Jeannie is used to good effect in this sketch of life in a claustrophobic community and all the gossipy perils therein. I truly wished for some sort of comeuppance for her given what's revealed about her daughter. There was enough to dislike Mitch without a truly terrifying and most sinister scene with two Native women where one (Rose) is tied to the top of a car by him. The whole thing was disturbing and went quite the way to making Richards wholly irredeemable for me.

I'd not heard of the reactor accident at Idaho Falls before reading this book and I much appreciated the bits throughout that explained some of the details of the reactor and its workings. Mostly though, I found the relationships of the people in this story an engaging way of connecting to it. Andria Williams definitely has a way with imagery and some of her passages will stay with me. Chiefly, Esrom's mention of the two buck's with locked antlers who, because they couldn't or wouldn't work together worked at cross purposes to the point of their mutual demise. It felt like a metaphor for failed relationships. Well done.

Definitely recommended and if this is a top read for book clubs, I'll definitely understand why. ( )