Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies! Today I'm sharing with you a dual timeline novel set partially during World War II entitled The Hanford Necklace by Shannon St. Hilaire.
About The Hanford Necklace
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication date: October 6, 2026
Gilmore Girls meets Oppenheimer in this dual-timeline family saga, set in a Manhattan Project town, about a granddaughter who uncovers her grandmother’s nuclear-age secrets and her own toxic inheritance.
What is the half-life of O’Toole family secrets?
In 2013, Saige is stuck living with her Granny Rosamond in her beige wasteland of a hometown. Desperate for a diagnosis and cure for her mysterious ailments, she uncovers more than she bargained for—a hot rock that shouldn’t exist and a past Rosamond refuses to explain.
That past takes place in the 1940s, when 50,000 people move to an eastern Washington town that doesn’t exist to build something they can’t name. Rosamond is one of them, eager to do her bit for the war effort—and find a husband. When she falls for a charming engineer, she envisions a perfect life. But as the hot war turns cold and her ever-expanding family becomes increasingly troubled, she discovers this nuclear town is no utopia, and she must decide whether to cling to the destructive facade of domestic bliss or face the truth that could save them all.
When Rosamond’s past collides with Saige’s search for healing, half-buried secrets—from the most contaminated place in the Western Hemisphere to the wounds within their own family—can no longer be ignored. Can Saige discover the truth and heal herself without destroying her grandmother’s life?
“The Hanford Necklace is an absorbing and haunting novel—one that will linger long with readers . . . A truly heart-rending, revelatory work.”—Maryka Biaggio, author of Gun Girl and the Tall Guy and Margery and Me
“A visceral page-turner about a granddaughter uncovering the plutonium-laced secrets of her grandmother’s past and a complicated family legacy created at the intersection of science and patriotism, secrets and lies, violence and love, and what happens when home is the thing that’s slowly killing you.”—Ellen Baker, author of The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson
About the Author
Shannon St. Hilaire writes about forgotten histories and the fascinating women who lived through them. She is the author of To Look Upon The Sun, The Ones Who Stayed, and The Hanford Necklace. Her short work placed first in the 2020 Forge Flash Nonfiction Competition and has appeared in literary journals such as New Delta, X-R-A-Y, HAD, and Five South. She serves on the board of directors for The People’s Colloquium, a non-profit that supports free education in the arts and humanities, and lives just outside of Portland, Oregon.
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My Review
First of all: Isn't the cover pretty? I'm always a sucker for pretty covers, I'll admit it.
When I agreed to review this book for TLC book tours, I thought that it was a family drama/saga (which it is), and that it must involve some type of family heirloom (a necklace). Boy was I ever wrong!
Spoiler Alert
A Hanford necklace is the scar someone has after having their thyroid removed due to thyroid cancer. It refers to the Hanford site in Eastern Washington State on the Columbia River. Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, the site was home to the Hanford Engineer Works and B Reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world. Supposedly it's the most toxic site in the Western Hemisphere. I have not confirmed that, though, so do your own research.
End Spoiler
This novel was as if Erin Brockovich was historical, giving a World War II reason why people in Washington State are developing thyroid cancer among other ailments. What I found to be most compelling was that this dual timeline, and from the points of view of those living through this - like Saige, who's sick and facing walls and secrecy when she wants answers about her illness. And she's in the more current timeline, generations later. This is so interesting, delving into the underreported consequences of historical action.
I wouldn't say that this is as cozy as the Gilmore Girls meets Openheimer as stated in the book blurb, but this is a truly fascinating part of our history that is presented in such a clear and relevant way! This is certainly a great pick for historical fiction readers, and I would rate it five stars on Goodreads.
I sort of wish I had trigger warnings before having started reading this book because I have a Hanford necklace. I experienced sinking feelings while reading it.
Disclosure:
I received a pretty Advanced Readers Copy of The Hanford Necklace from the publisher via TLC Book Reviews in exchange for a fair and honest review.
TLC review tour schedule:
Wednesday, September 23rd: @rosicolmenares
Friday, September 25th: Eliot’s Eats
Monday, September 28th: @kristis_literary_corner
Wednesday, September 30th: @diveintoagoodbook
Thursday, October 1st: Girl Who Reads
Friday, October 2nd: @chloereadsallday
Monday, October 5th: Helen’s Book Blog
Monday, October 5th: @oldsoulbookish
Tuesday, October 6th: Reading Reality
Wednesday, October 7th: Novels Alive
Wednesday, October 7th: @stories.with.sherry
Thursday, October 8th: @bookedbychristina
Friday, October 9th: @
Friday, October 9th: Laura’s Reviews and @laurasreviews_1
Monday, October 12th: @books_old_and_new
Wednesday, October 14th: @ifcatscouldread
Thursday, October 15th: @aneedleinmybookstack
Friday, October 16th: The Bookish Dilettante
Sunday, October 18th: @subakka.bookstuff – feature
Until next time...
Happy reading!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
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