" The Hanford Plaintiffs is a unique document. It is a joint effort of the plaintiffs themselves; denied their opportunity to tell their stories in a court of law, their suffering and their lives downwind had largely become invisible until now. The Hanford workers and their families and neighbors were deemed expendable by the US government in the national quest for nuclear superiority. For the first time, thanks to the work of Trisha T. Pritikin, we can meet the people who lived through this horror and hear the stories of their pain, their bravery, and their dignity."-- Robert "Bo" Jacobs , PhD, professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute and the Graduate School of Peace Studies of Hiroshima City University, and author of The Dragon''s Tail: Americans Face the Atomic Age "Trisha Pritikin''s compelling chronicling of the tragic suffering and deaths of the Hanford community and downwinders--the deliberate guinea pigs and sacrificial victims of the Manhattan Project''s secret development of the plutonium weapon destined for Nagasaki and of the United States'' ongoing race for global dominance in nuclear weaponry--is essential reading for all concerned with humanity and justice. It is the pain-filled story of the lifelong battle for the health of the workers and their families in the Hanford community and the downwinds that destroyed the health and lives of many--with deaths from thyroid cancer, leukemia, brain tumors, and other forms of cancer and consequent illnesses. A horrifying account of the consequences of the widespread radioactive fallout that contaminated the food sources, the air, and the water of the Hanford community and surrounding environs.

As I read I am alternately horrified, sickened, devastated, heartbroken, appalled, and angry at the shattered lives and the US government''s denial, rejection, and outright lies about the dangers and consequences inflicted on its citizens. I wonder how the United States considers itself a democracy when the 10th Circuit Court ruled that the government is above the law. Trisha Pritikin, herself a victim of the shameful, cruel disregard for human lives, the deceit and duplicity of the US government--surely a crime against humanity--in this very readable account contributes to the accumulation of knowledge of the catastrophic consequences of the use of nuclear energy, whether it is manufacturing, testing, or the bombs themselves--Hanford, Nevada, the Marshall Islands, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl, Fukushima--the list goes on. It is a timely contribution to the current nuclear crisis in an era with potentially no nuclear treaty restraints, with all nuclear weapon states upgrading their arsenals, and with the new US nuclear war-fighting doctrine."-- Dr. Jennifer Allen Simons, founder and president, Simons Foundation "Timely and compelling, with the experiences and voices of impacted people at its core, The Hanford Plaintiffs is one of the most important works on Hanford to date. These twenty-four oral histories coupled with Pritikin''s eloquent and accessible analysis of nuclear history, dose reconstruction science, and toxic tort law make this book essential reading for citizens and professionals alike."-- Sarah Fox , author of Downwind: A People''s History of the Nuclear West "In The Hanford Plaintiffs , Trisha Pritikin reveals the breadth and depth of the devastating health effects of the Hanford site on local residents and the extent to which they were deceived and misled by the US government.

A downwinder herself, she presents a thorough account of those whose lives were unknowingly impacted by radioactive and toxic contamination. This book is an urgent reminder of why American citizens must remain diligent and hold our government accountable for the truth we deserve regarding nuclear contamination, especially when lives were--and continue to be--at stake."-- Kristen Iversen , author of Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats "Irradiated lambs, mysteriously paralyzed children, debilitating cancers: this is the all-too-real nightmare of America''s ''forgotten guinea pigs,'' the Inland Northwest downwinders who have been irreparably harmed by atomic fallout. Thoroughly researched and expertly organized by Trisha T. Pritikin, this is a chilling, startling, and crucial book; no doubt its unflinching truth will inspire change."-- Sharma Shields , author of The Cassandra: A Novel.