The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee: Book Review

 **ARC received via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

In the hills of Tennessee, two women work at a Manhattan Project site during World War II and uncover truths that irrevocably change their lives in this captivating new story from award-winning Southern fiction author Michelle Shocklee.

1944. Maebelle Willett arrives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, eager to begin her new government job and send money home to her impoverished family. She knows little about the work she will be doing, but she’s told it will help America win the war. Not all is what it seems, however. Though Oak Ridge employees are forbidden from discussing their jobs, Mae’s roommate begins sharing disturbing information, then disappears without a trace. Mae desperately attempts to find her but instead comes face-to-face with a life-altering revelation—one that comes at significant cost.

1979. Laurel Willett is a graduate student in Boston when she learns about the history of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where thousands unknowingly worked on the atomic bomb. Intrigued because she knows her Aunt Mae was employed there, Laurel decides to spend the summer with her aunt, hoping to add a family connection to her thesis research. But Mae adamantly refuses to talk about her time in the Secret City. Mae’s friends, however, offer to share their experiences, propelling Laurel on her path to uncovering the truth about a missing woman. As Laurel works to put the pieces together, the hidden pain and guilt Mae has tried so hard to bury comes to light . . . with potentially disastrous consequences.

• Standalone Southern historical fiction great for fans of Lisa Wingate, Donna Everhart, and Lynn Austin
• A compelling dual-timeline novel set during WWII and the 1970s about the weight of secrets and the power of forgiveness
• Includes discussion questions for book groups

The Author

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels including APPALACHIAN SONG, a 2024 Christy Award Finalist; COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS, winner of the 2023 Christianity Today Book Award in Fiction; and UNDER THE TULIP TREE, a Christy Award & Selah Award finalist. As a woman of mixed heritage--her father's family is Hispanic and her mother's roots go back to Germany--she has always celebrated diversity and feels it's important to see the world through the eyes of one another. Learning from the past and changing the future is why she writes historical fiction. With both her sons grown and happily married, Michelle and her husband make their home in Tennessee. She loves to hear from readers, so please connect with her at: www.MichelleShocklee. com

Book Review

Wow! Do you ever finish reading a book and know without a doubt that this is one that is going to stick with you for a long time? This one was definitely one of those for me. While I knew about the Manhattan Project in a broad sense, this story opened my eyes to the history that I had never even thought about. Who were the people that actually worked behind the scenes? What were their feelings when they realized what their work had truly created? This story takes us into that world as we meet two women working in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on a project so secret they couldn't even talk to others working there about it. In the dual timeline, we meet the niece of one of these women who has come to learn more about subject. This was such a beautiful and intriguing story--- filled with heartache, deception, and history but a story that also ultimately has a sense of healing and forgiveness as well. If you enjoy Christian historical fiction, this is absolutely one you won't want to miss. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4kVLRke