I can see why this would be so well regarded. It is better than quite a few of the fear of the bomb books. But by virtue of in the times we live in it is also very antiquated and, I think, flawed in the core conceit of what would happen, even for its time. I liked that it was grounded in verisimilitude though, and had a methodical plot arc.

Most of this is business as usual from the time of the bomb, though. Things we take for granted no longer work. Old knowledge and grit allow for the protagonist to eschew the normal challenges one would have, once distribution and tender is non existent, which I felt was the main flaw, regardless of time period. Why bother having a fear of the bomb when the main character can pretty easily circumnavigate it? Dystopias have diverged very meaningfully from this genre, probably in part, as a reaction to that conceit being mishandled so often.

Near the end things come together well enough and, though poignant, I did like the decision at the end; even if it is somewhat, again, unrealistic.