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Denise Kiernan

Biography

Denise Kiernan

Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist and producer who has worked as a writer for more than 20 years. Her last two books --- THE LAST CASTLE and THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY --- were both instant New York Times bestsellers in both hardcover and paperback. THE LAST CASTLE was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a finalist for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY was a Los Angeles Times and NPR bestseller, named one of Amazon’s “Top 100 Best Books of 2013,” and has been published in multiple languages. Kiernan has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” "PBS NewsHour," MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

Denise Kiernan

Books by Denise Kiernan

We Gather Together: A Nation Divided, a President in Turmoil, and a Historic Campaign to Embrace Gratitude and Grace
by Denise Kiernan - History, Nonfiction

From Ancient Rome through 21st-century America, Denise Kiernan brings us a biography of an idea: gratitude, as a compelling human instinct and a global concept, more than just a mere holiday. Spanning centuries, WE GATHER TOGETHER is anchored amid the strife of the Civil War, and driven by the fascinating story of Sarah Josepha Hale, a widowed mother with no formal schooling who became one of the 19th century’s most influential tastemakers and who campaigned for decades to make real an annual day of thanks.

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home
by Denise Kiernan - History, Nonfiction

Orphaned at a young age, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser claimed lineage from one of New York’s best known families. She grew up in Newport and Paris, and her engagement and marriage to George Vanderbilt was one of the most watched events of Gilded Age society. But none of this prepared her to be mistress of Biltmore House --- the largest, grandest residence ever built in the United States. When fortunes shifted and changing times threatened her family, her home and her community, it was up to Edith to save Biltmore --- and secure the future of the region and her husband’s legacy.

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II
by Denise Kiernan - History, Nonfiction

Drawing from the voices and experiences of the women who lived and worked in the top-secret World War II town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY rescues a remarkable, forgotten chapter of World War II from obscurity. Denise Kiernan captures the spirit of the times through these women: their pluck, their desire to contribute, and their enduring courage.