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By Root 1237 0

the truth about secret medical experiments conducted on vulnerable, unsuspecting American citizens during the cold war. It is a great American book. The medical experiment portrayed in this novel—radioactive cocktails given to pregnant women—actually took place at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, but I moved it to a fictitious hospital in Memphis, my favorite city.

Another amazing book that grabbed me by the collar is The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein, a superbly written true story that not even Hollywood could’ve concocted. Many of the details about Otis’s breeder reactor come from this book, but as a fiction writer I also changed some things to fit my story. If I’ve gotten anything wrong about breeder reactors, the fault is entirely mine.

Hurricane Grayson, which appears in this novel, is a fictitious storm. For answering my hurricane questions, I thank Team Hurricane: Carissa Neff, Forrest Anderson, Christie Grimes, Wendi Taylor Nations, Cadence Kidwell, and especially Beauvis McCaddon.

The Lillian Smith Center for the Arts provided me with space and time to write this novel. I’m forever grateful to Florida State University for keeping body and soul together. Thanks to my colleagues and students in our creative writing program for being the outstanding people they are. In particular I’d like to thank my assistant, Kristina Vogtner, for all her enthusiasm and smart ideas.

Many thanks also go to: Tricia Young, for being Tco. Mary Lou Sheridan, for being Mary Lou and not Marylou. Miranda Stuckey, soccer player extraordinaire, who answered all my soccer questions. My gal pals in the RDI Group—you’ve saved my life many times over. Mike Croley, who hosted and tour-guided me around Memphis a number of times. Tad Pierson of American Dream Safari, for taking me on tours of Memphis in his pink Cadillac. Janet Burroway and Patricia Henley, whom I can call day or night to discuss writing and anything else. Alison Destry Jester, for graciously spending way too much time hashing out the plot of this novel with me and for putting up with me for two weeks every summer. The Tarts—Joanna Harper, for offering me a lovely place to work out the final kinks in this book; Michele Messenger, for her graphic design genius; and Lauren Heath and Lisa Dowis, for keeping me laughing.

I couldn’t have pulled it together without the encouragement of my wonderful agent, Gail Hochman. At Doubleday: Cory Hunter and Nora Reichard are true treasures. My brilliant editor, Alison Callahan, performed magic on the manuscript and understood better than I what I was trying to do.

Most important, I’m grateful to my family. My mother, June Stuckey, applauds me even when she must think I’m insane. My daughters, Flannery and Phoebe, took time out of their busy lives to help me choose character names, act out scenes, and give me sage advice about the behavior of teenagers. My husband, Ned, as always, was right there with me every step of the way. I appreciate him more each and every day.

Table of Contents

Cover

Other Books by This Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Part One - April 2006

Marylou

Part Two - May 2006

Chapter 1 - Suzi

Chapter 2 - Vic

Chapter 3 - Caroline

Chapter 4 - Ava

Chapter 5 - Otis

Part Three - June 2006

Chapter 6 - Suzi

Chapter 7 - Marylou

Chapter 8 - Vic

Part Four - July 2006

Chapter 9 - Caroline

Chapter 10 - Ava

Chapter 11 - Otis

Part Five - August 2006

Chapter 12 - Suzi

Chapter 13 - Marylou

Chapter 14 - Vic

Chapter 15 - Caroline

Chapter 16 - Ava

Chapter 17 - Otis

Chapter 18 - Suzi

Chapter 19 - Marylou

Chapter 20 - Vic

Chapter 21 - Caroline

Chapter 22 - Wilson

Chapter 23 - Marylou

Acknowledgements