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 fascinating read...set against the backdrop of an important time and little-known place in American history, it keeps the reader guessing. I couldn't put it down." —Michele Gerber, Ph.D., Author of On The Home Front: The Cold War Legacy of the Hanford Nuclear Site

"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

"Tangles is as gut-wrenching as it is heartwarming. The cast of characters as memorable as the setting. The backdrop is the mass production of nuclear warheads, and the fallout and life-altering consequences are nothing less than tragic, frustrating, and mind-blowing. Kay Smith-Blum is a master storyteller, and she is now on my "go to" list of authors to read, and she should be for you, too! Tangles is a 5 Star, Must Read!" —Joseph Lewis, Author of Blaze In, Blaze Out, Fan Mail, and other tales of the Evans Family

"Tangles...is a triumphant artistic reconstruction. Kay Smith-Blum's prose is gentle and subtle, but it's also stark, a stubborn tree standing against the deadly gales and waters that swept through east and south-central Washington and into the organs and bones of the Hanford workers and their families. This book is hardly just another self-satisfied screed by a know-it-all environmentalist. The love stories that abound--reverberate for generations, just like the diseases foisted on them. Tangles is an ode to the human condition, to the irrepressibility of caring in the face of uncaring dangers. It is also first-rate literature." —Morris Hoffman, author of Pinch Hitting

"The world of Tangles is brought to life with Smith-Blum's vivid, rich language that befits such an epic historical tale." —Samantha Dunn, Author of Not by Accident: Reconstructing, a Careless Life, and Failing Paris

"A Cold War gritty and compelling environmental thriller set in Eastern Washington...Smith-Blum weaves a tangled tale dedicated to the people who unknowingly paid the ultimate price." —Clare Hodgson Meeker, 2020 WA State Book Award Winner for Young Readers