Tangles is a genre-defying must-read for our time. Oppenheimer was just the beginning.
In This Spotlight on Tangles
About Tangles
Oppenheimer was just the beginning.
When a harpooned whale offers proof the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is endangering all life in the Columbia River Basin, Luke Hinson, a brash young scientist, seizes the chance to avenge his father’s death but a thyroid cancer diagnosis derails Luke’s research. Between treatments, he dives back in, making enemies at every turn. On an overnight trek, Luke discovers evidence that Mary, his former neighbor, embarked on the same treacherous trail, and her disappearance, a decade prior, may be tied to Hanford’s harmful practices mired in government-mandated secrecy.
A love story wrapped in a mystery, this stunning Cold War home-front tale reveals the devastating costs of the birth of the nuclear age, and celebrates the quiet courage of wronged women, the fierce determination of fatherless sons, and the limitless power of the individual.
Praise for Tangles
“Based on real events, Tangles is an ambitious debut novel that is at once labyrinthine and simply and deeply human. At its heart are generations of secrets and horrific sacrifices played out in the twisted shadows of personal, corporate and government corruption during the advent of the Atomic Age and Cold War. In stunning and engrossing multiple narratives, Smith-Blum reminds us about the devastating and lasting costs of love, loyalty and freedom and, above all, the enduring solace of nature and family.”—James Anderson, Award-winning author of The Never-Open Desert Diner and Lullaby Road
“In a well-crafted debut, Kay Smith-Blum provides the reader a ringside seat to the birth of the nuclear age and its human costs on those living in a small town cloaked in Cold War, government-mandated secrecy. Tangles is a tale of tragedy and loss, but also hope. A beautifully written, important story much like A Civil Action. It packs a punch and hits close to home.”—Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Tracy Crosswhite Series
“In her knockout debut novel, Tangles, Kay Smith-Blum sheds new light on Hanford. Skillfully blending historical details and nail-biting suspense, Smith-Blum weaves a harrowing story that unfolds across two decades with two complex protagonists you can really root for as they fight against a powerful, government-backed system. Timely as ever, Tangles is fast-paced, compelling, and unputdownable.”—Kevin O’Brien, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Enemy at Home
“A brilliant, captivating ride…although fiction, Smith-Blum reveals many truths about our radioactive legacy.”—Joshua Frank, Award-winning investigative journalist and author of Atomic Days
“Smith-Blum has gorgeously re-created an obscure time and place that were critical to the future of the planet. Her story speaks to us all.”—Steve Olson, Award-winning author of The Apocalypse Factory
“Tangles is a genre-defying novel that is impossible to set aside. Kay Smith-Blum deftly wields a Cold War dual timeline to deliver readers a doubleheader of a story—the first, a tale of love and loss; the second, a government willing to pull out all stops to hide its responsibility for nuclear contamination. Smith-Blum describes Eastern Washington with talent matching David Guterson, and reveals character in dialogue reminiscent of Annie Proulx. One of the best debut novels I’ve read!”—Cam Torrens, award-winning author of Stable, False Summit, and Scorched
About Kay Smith-Blum, Author of Tangles
Photo Marc Von Borstel
Winner of the 2023 Black Fox Lit short story contest, Smith-Blum is a member of the Historical Fiction Writers Group, WFWA (serving on the Scholarship committee), HistFic Feisty Deeds Anthology editorial committee, Ravenna Writers Circle, CommuterLit Writers Group, the Authors Guild, PNWA, NIWA and AWP. She has been published in over a dozen literary journals.
An Austin, Texas, transplant and lifetime environmental advocate, Kay Smith-Blum has called Seattle home since 1981. A former high-end fashion retailer who also served on the Seattle School Board, Smith-Blum spends her mornings writing stories that debunk the tropes of the mid-20th century and defy genre. Winner of the Black Fox Lit 2023 Short Story contest, Smith-Blum’s other short works have garnered Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations. In the afternoon, she works out her writer’s block in her three sons’ gardens or the nearest lap pool.
You can connect with Kay Smith-Blum on her website, and on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X.
Source: Publisher and Kay Smith-Blum’s website
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN-13: 9781685135065
Pub date: 12/03/2024
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