On Tour 12/20/25-01/27/26 “Fission” by Leslie R. Schover

Release Date: January 27, 2026

About The Book:

When nineteen-year-old Doris Friedman marries Rob in 1941 and has a sickly, premature baby, she trades in her dreams of being a concert pianist or a lawyer to become the ideal wife and mother. Within months, Rob is recruited to work on the Manhattan Project, and the young family moves to Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Just like fission splits an atom’s nucleus, Doris’s marriage threatens to break her heart in two as she is left struggling to nurture her daughter while Rob works around the clock. In an effort to find connection, Doris befriends Betty, a Southern debutante. Even though they come from different backgrounds, the two women sustain each other through difficult moments: Betty’s miscarriage, Rob’s radiation exposure, and his subsequent attempt to enlist to fight at the front.

Despite her attempts to make life in Oak Ridge work, Doris falls for an army engineer—only to realize that he may be a Soviet spy. Should she turn him in and risk losing her marriage? As the end of the war nears, Doris must decide what’s most important—and what she’s willing to lose.

About The Author:

Leslie Schover is a clinical psychologist who brings her knowledge of people and relationships to her fiction writing. She spent most of her career at the Cleveland Clinic and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, publishing three self-help books and creating a digital health company to educate people with cancer about sex and fertility. Her first novel, Fission: A Novel of Atomic Heartbreak draws on her parents’ stories of Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project, and recent revelations of Soviet atomic spies in that time and place. She lives in Houston, Texas with her faithful dog, Luc. https://www.leslieschoverauthor.com

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslieschover

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.schover.9/

Book Blurbs:

“Fission touches on the moral issues faced by those who took part in the Manhattan Project and delves into the constraints imposed on women who dared to harbor ambitions beyond being homemakers and mothers. Fission offers an interesting and highly accessible account of this world-changing time and place.” Galina Vromen, author of Hill of Secrets

“The story is inspired by the author’s parents, and the research that went into it was an education for me. The young wife who is suddenly thrust into this town from a life in Chicago finds it hard to adjust. Any reader who’s had to move because of her husband’s job will sympathise as she tries to find a way to make things work. Silence and secrets make everything more difficult for her, and the dangerous research and possible Russian spies in their midst add elements of drama to heighten the action. Recommended for book clubs, because there’s a lot to discuss here.” Gabi Coatsworth, author of A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over

“An in depth look at the hopes and desires of a woman who follows her husband to Oak Ridge, Tennessee during the development of the atomic bomb in World War II and the

obstacles she faces in realizing her dreams. A thought-provoking, interesting read.” Iris Mitlin Lav author of Gitel’s Freedom

Bloggers On Tour:

Dec. 20th – Books and Coffee MX https://instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx

Dec. 22nd- Cassie’s Book Reviews https://instagram.com/cassies_books_reviews

Dec. 22nd- Sarah’s Bookstack https://instagram.com/sarahs.bookstack

Dec. 27th- Plains Reading https://instagram.com/plains_reading

Jan. 6th- Rozier Reads and Wine https://instagram.com/rozierreadsandwine

Jan. 6th- Sarahs Bookish Reviews https://instagram.com/sarahs.bookish.reviews

Jan. 9th- CMT Loves Wine and Books https://instagram.com/cmtloveswineandbooks

Jan. 12th- Nurse Bookie https://instagram.com/nurse_bookie

Jan. 12th- Books Love And Understanding https://instagram.com/booksloveandunderstanding

Jan. 13th- Tiffany Vt4 https://instagram.com/tiffanyvt4