Hill of Secrets

A Novel

By: Galina Vromen

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

In a desert outpost, nuclear scientists and their families face the toll of the secrets they keep from the world and from each other in this gripping wartime novel from debut author Galina Vromen.

Los Alamos, 1943. The US Army has gathered scientists to create the world’s first nuclear weapon. Their families, abruptly moved to the secret desert base with no explanation, have simple orders: Stand by. Make do. Above all, don’t ask questions.

Christine, forced to abandon her art restoration business in New York for her husband’s career, struggles to reinvent herself and cope with his increasing aloofness.

Gertie, the inquisitive teenage daughter of a German Jewish refugee physicist enlists Christine to help her unravel hidden truths and deal with parents haunted by their past.

Gertie’s father, Kurt, anguished by what the Nazis have done to his family and bent on defeating them, carries burdens he longs to share but cannot confide in his wife—leading him to find comfort elsewhere.

And Jimmy, a young army technician, falls for Gertie but is unsure if even her deep affection can overcome his agonizing self-doubts.

Will so much secrecy save them or destroy them?

©2024 by Galina Vromen. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“In Vromen’s twisty, infectiously readable debut, secrets are simmering within Los Alamos…With young love, a clandestine affair, intense guilt, and suppressed yearnings circulating in this high-pressure environment.” —Booklist

“A deftly crafted World War II era novel with which author Galina Vromen reveals a special talent for the kind of narrative driven historical fiction that makes for a fascinating and entertaining read from start to finish.” —Midwest Book Review

“Hill of Secrets is one of the best novels I have read in ages. Couldn’t put it down. Galina Vromen’s fully drawn characters and intimate storytelling reveals the complexities of life for those at Los Alamos who knew the big atomic bomb secret and those who couldn’t be told—but it also explores the complicated web of secrets we all spin and hold as we navigate our way through life.” —Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post

Interest topic- Los Alamos WWII

Vromen was able to portray the secrecy of the Manhattan Project and how the people lived in this secret, desert environment. The characters were well developed and the storyline believable. I would have liked a little more focus on the trial and error of building the nuclear weapon.

This book good for fictional history buffs

Very compelling and good on the fictional history. I watched the movie Oppenheimer along with this. History, I was never taught in school!

love WWII dramas

This book was well-written, and full of the female angst that I feel a lot of writers struggle to capture. I could identify with every character and emotion. I loved it!

Great peek into Los Alamos during WWII

I knew basically nothing about Los Alamos during WWII, so this was super interesting to get a peek into what it was like for people from multiple perspectives.

Not historical

There was a TV show a few years ago about this time period that i really enjoyed, so i was looking forward to reading this. However it is more soft porn than historical. DNF and returned. I wish we could be advised of this in the advertisement.