You might have heard of “Hanford Downwinders.” Now, a new book penned by a Northwest author tackles the stories of nuclear “downwinders” in the broader West.
“Downwind: A People’s History of the Nuclear West” hits the shelves in November.
Sarah Alisabeth Fox found that radioactive contamination came from unexpected places. It would get onto workers’ clothes, it got in the air and it settled on crops hundreds of miles away. Crops that were served up on America’s dinner tables.
Her first book mashes-up the family folklore she collected over 10 years with the accounts in old government records.
Fox said one of the surprises in her research was how expert the families could be with little to no formal scientific training.
“We as ordinary citizens, we can look around us and see the impacts on our communities and talk coherently with our neighbors and point to things that concern us,” she said.
Fox’s book largely homes in on places impacted by the Nevada Test Site. Her latest research is taking her to Emmett, Idaho.
Sarah Alisabeth Fox will read from her book "Downwind: A People’s History of the Nuclear West" at 7 p.m. on November 7, at Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 Tenth Avenue in Seattle. You can hear her read a page from the book below.
Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network
