The Longest Night

A Novel

By: Andria Williams

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Hillary Huber, MacLeod Andrews

A scintillating debut novel about a young couple whose marriage is tested when they move to an army base rife with love triangles, life-or-death conflicts, and a dramatic cover-up

In 1959, Nat Collier moves with her husband, Paul, and their two young daughters to Idaho Falls, a remote military town. An Army Specialist, Paul is stationed there to help oversee one of the country’s first nuclear reactors—an assignment that seems full of opportunity.

Then, on his rounds, Paul discovers that the reactor is compromised, placing his family and the entire community in danger. Worse, his superiors set out to cover up the problem rather than fix it. Paul can’t bring himself to tell Nat the truth, but his lies only widen a growing gulf between them.

Lonely and restless, Nat is having trouble adjusting to their new life. She struggles to fit into her role as a housewife and longs for a real friend. When she meets a rancher, Esrom, she finds herself drawn to him, comforted by his kindness and company. But as rumors spread, the secrets between Nat and Paul build and threaten to reach a breaking point.

Based on a true story of the only fatal nuclear accident to occur in America, The Longest Night is a deeply moving novel that explores the intricate makeup of a marriage, the shifting nature of trust, and the ways we try to protect the ones we love.

Praise for The Longest Night

“[A] stunning debut.”—Entertainment Weekly

“[A] smart and detailed portrait of a dissolving postwar marriage . . . will remind many readers of Richard Yates’s Revolutionary Road.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“[Andria] Williams’s quietly confident style is without swagger or gimmick. . . . What emerges most powerfully from The Longest Night is a kind of quiet wonder at the exquisite intricacy, but astonishing durability, of familial love.”—Los Angeles Review of Books

“Think Army Wives meets Serial meets your perfect long weekend read. About an army base with a lot of love triangles, and a cover-up.”—theSkimm

“The tension builds heavily with each page.”—InStyle

“Scintillating . . . A smoldering, altogether impressive debut that probes the social and emotional strains on military families in a fresh and insightful way.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“[A] luminous debut . . . Williams expertly builds tension between Paul and Nat as the story progresses towards the inevitable nuclear tragedy in this utterly absorbing and richly rewarding novel.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Andria Williams’s debut is an intimately detailed portrait of love, trust, and guilt in a town—and an era—clouded with secrets.”—Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You

“A smart and compassionate novel that offers as many fresh insights into marriage and intimacy as it does about American nuclear history. Andria Williams is a terrific writer—clear-eyed and empathetic—and this is a fantastic debut.”—Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans

“It’s hard to believe The Longest Night is Andria Williams’s debut novel. Her command of language, character and plot—the three essential ingredients for a riveting read—is extraordinary.”—David Abrams, author of Fobbit

wow!

What an incredible and eye opening story! Performance was,excellent and this historical writing is superb!

Excellent

Very compelling. The writing is excellent, the characters are interesting, and the historical setting is intriguing. I almost NEVER wish for books to be longer, but in this case, I definitely wanted to read more about these people. Excellent narration too.

Longest drawn out book ever

I picked this out because it was part of the two for one deal. Trying to push myself out of my usual genres but OMG there was sooo much unnecessary details in this story. Thank God for Nat's chapters because Paul's chapters were so boring. I felt the author was great at descriptive writing but didn't givr us th details. Like why is Paul the way he is, more about his childhood dilemma. Why did he choose Nat overall. Why did Nat choose him? I wish we also found out more about Ezra as a person too and his dilapidated living. The book becomes more thinking getting into chapter 20. which is a long wait for thrill. A lot of detail but in the wrong places. Nat and Jeanie's storyline kept this book alive.

Worth a read (or a listen)! Interesting story...

...and characters populate this book. Strong sense of place and time (era), great writing, character development, and story--and great audio performers!