Deep in the Appalachian Mountains lies Green Bank, West Virginia, home to the Green Bank Observatory, where astronomers search the depths of the universe using the latest technology. With a ban on all devices emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the observatory's telescopes, Quiet Zone residents seem to live a peaceful existence. But under the surface, a journalist finds, strange people and ideas percolating.
... [a] fascinating, deeply reported and slightly eerie look at an unusual corner of America ... Ultimately, Kurczy realizes Green Bank is not as silent as the media portrays it, but he brings to life other facets of this town that are even more intriguing. Kurczy becomes embedded in the community, and with compassion and a journalist’s eye he delivers a compelling portrait of a town where people struggle with the same issues as the rest of America, just a little more quietly.
The most memorable characters in The Quiet Zone pathetically search for peace in a physical place ... The Quiet Zone offers a sober portrait of people stumbling their way into an uncertain future. Readers looking to confirm their conviction that disconnecting is a cure-all will be disappointed. Those needing a reminder of the simple pleasure of reconnecting with real people in real life will enjoy the journey.
... intriguing ... What makes this book formidable is Kurczy’s relentless investigating, though readers will occasionally feel exhausted by his tendency to over-interview, over-detail and over-report. Yet, where Kurczy most impressively goes down the rabbit hole is in his persistent investigation of The Quiet Zone’s neo-Nazi white supremacist presence.
