In 1944, Maebelle Willett went to work at an Manhattan Project site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. While there, she discovered some things she would have been happier not knowing about, such as some things about a woman who worked at the site who disappeared.

In 1979, her niece, Laurel, does some investigation about Oak Ridge’s history only to meet with a great deal of resistance from her aunt. So what is the story?

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.

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

I find the whole history of Oak Ridge, TN fascinated and have read several historical fiction books set there, so I was excited to see this new title. It did not disappoint. I loved how the author wove in details from her research into the story (which led to me doing some Googling to see photos of the places she described). The inspirational message that no secret is so bad that it can't be forgiven by God's grace fit perfectly with the story and was a good reminder.

This is actually the first book that I have read by Michelle Shocklee and there are not enough words to describe how this book made me feel. If your someone who enjoys dual timeline stories please pick up this book and read it you will not be disappointed! There is so much that goes on that once you think you have an idea to what the true answer they throw in something to make it more complicated. The characters in both timelines are so well drawn out and the location setting is just so intriguing.
In the 1970's timeline we are introduced to Laurel who is a graduate student from Boston. She comes to Oak ridge to work on a paper for school because the town was known for their work with the war effort during the second world war. She hopes that her Aunt Mae might be able to help however, her aunt wishes to not revisit that time period. Laurel eventually finds someone to tell stories but at the same time she is concerned about her aunts behavior and she enlists the help of a new friend to look into some old records.
In the 1940's Mae arrives in Oak ridge hoping this new government job will at least give her the opportunity to help her family out. Although she is away from home for the first time she manages to make friends with her roommate Sissy. Although there are many secrets to the town and the work surrounding it. When Sissy ends up disappearing Mae decides to do some investigating of her own. However, some of her discoveries could end up leading her down a path she never dared venturing down and could be considered treason to the United States.
As mentioned before the plot and all the other elements of the story were intense. In one of the earlier chapters Mae mentioned how she adored The Little House on the Prairie series. Laura Ingalls Wilder had changed and left out some details in her writing because there were parts of her life she did not want to relive. So I can understand why Mae kept quiet all these years about some of the things she did. However, I think Mae realized that the only way she could forgive herself was to at least tell her side of the story.
A special thank you to Netgalley, Tyndale House, and Michelle Shocklee for giving me the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are of my own.

This is my first time reading one of Michelle Shocklee's books, and I definitely want to read more now. The reason I was drawn to this one, however, is that I have family that moved to Oak Ridge a few years ago. I had NO idea about the history in the area until that point, so when I saw this book, I just had to read it. It was an absolutely fascinating dual timeline look at both the WWII era leading up to the atomic bomb, and then several decades later during the Cold War. I was enthralled getting to learn the history of this area through this story.

This was such a great read, it seemed so real, and actually could have happened!
This is a dual time story, 1944 to 1979, for aunt to niece, from young woman to middle age, from Boston to Oak Ridge.
I'd heard of Los Alamos NM, The Manhattan Project, but not the secret town of Oak Ridge TN, but I do now.
This is a story of forgiveness, and finally moving on in life, and finding a new life, finally after terror.
This deals with some very tough subjects, some very bad controlling evil, putting the lives of everyone in danger.
This is also a story of healing, and as facts unfold, and the terror comes to light, and healing.
This is a real page turner of a read, I had to know, and yet, was I happy with the answers, no, but the future is still out there for these loved ones.
I did enjoy the epilogue, finding the lost, and new beginnings!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale House, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee

This novel takes place in Oak Ridge Tennessee, the secret city during World War 2. It covers 2 time periods, in the 1940’s and the late 1970’s. For her doctoral dissertation, Laurel wants to research what life was like in Oak Ridge during the time her Aunt Mae lived and worked there. Aunt Mae believes that some secrets are best left buried and refuses to talk about her experiences. But secrets have a way of coming to light and what will happen to Aunt Mae when they do?

There were many things to enjoy in this book. The story was intriguing because of the setting and the plot. The ending was unpredictable and kept the reader engaged. The characters were likable. It was well-researched and despite a technical subject, it was easy for the reader to comprehend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am grateful to the publisher for the arc in exchange for this, my honest review.

Oh.my.gosh. World War 2, secret cities, a little romance, and espionage. Sounds like a winner to me! This story of the people that worked in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during the development of the atomic bomb made me want to learn more. I read a lot of WW2 stories, but the stateside point of view of this story captured me. And who doesn't love a good spy story?

The release date for this is September so preorder this one for sure.

Disclaimer: none!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House for the advanced reader in exchange for an honest review.

Michelle Shocklee has written another powerful dual timeline novel full of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged in the story from beginning to end. I feel like her writing and storytelling just keep getting better and better. The story is so compelling I stayed up at night late to finish it. There is the right amount of intrigue, danger and mystery in this story with some heartwarming parts as well.

This book is set in 1944 and 1979 Oak Ridge, TN. Oak Ridge is one of the sites of the WWII Manhattan Project - infamous for building the atomic bomb. It was a secret city full of workers that knew they were working on something for the war but weren't aware of what it was. I liked how the earlier timeline tells the history of the city through the characters and the later one discusses how the characters felt after finally finding out what they had been working on all along.

I would categorize this one as a women's fiction novel with just a touch of romance. There are very strong female characters in this book of diverse backgrounds. The book also touches on the plight of African Americans in the south living with segregation and in inferior conditions to their white counterparts in 1944 and later how some of the characters are living in 1979. There are a lot of thoughts and emotions of the workers which are portrayed in both timelines very well. The book ends with a powerful faith ARC of forgiveness and the freedom a person finds in the forgiveness.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another fantastic read from Michelle Shocklee.

I found this story so fascinating – how the atomic bomb was constructed from several different areas of the US while America was at war. The secrets and the extent that the military went to in order to keep the project a secret was phenomenal.

Maebelle Willet is a sweet character, but the secrecy wears her down until she’s unsure of whom she can trust. She has a beautiful relationship with her roommate, until things take a strange turn. Mae is caught between a rock and a hard place – being in the wrong places at the wrong time. She’ll carry the knowledge of what she knows about Oak Ridge for decades to come.

I loved the relationship that developed between Mae and her niece who visits her later in the seventies. Laurel is determined to finish her doctorate and write about the experiences of people who lived and worked in Oak Ridge, including her aunt. But her aunt isn’t talking.

The setting and background is rich in detail, educating readers while immersing them into Oak Ridge. I learned so much, but it didn’t read like a textbook. In a place full of secrets, there’s bound to be conflict at every turn. Michelle Shocklee didn’t disappoint.

An excellent story with lots of historical detail, intrigue and mystery, and a light thread of romance.

This is a must read for 2025!

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A compelling dual timeline story based on real history! In 1979, a graduate student, Laurel, seeks to find out the life experiences of people who lived and worked in the "secret city" of Oak Ridge, Tennessee during WWII. Her aunt Mae's resistance to reveal her own tale leads to an intriguing mystery.

Once again this skilled author brings the human side of lesser known history to the surface and draws out meaningful lessons of faith, family and friendship. I learned a lot about a part of the Manhattan Project I had never known of before. The story drew me in and had me reading late into the night as the tension grew with Mae's tale in 1944. It felt quite personal, like walking (or riding) miles in her shoes.

"All we can do is seek God's forgiveness for things known and unknown, and trust in His grace to cover it all."
This is ultimately a redemptive tale, with touching moments of faith that shed light and hope. I liked how Velvet and Roonie encouraged Mae despite their own difficult experiences.

Fans of historical Christian fiction set in WWII will enjoy this one. Recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Tyndal House Publishing for sharing this early read with me!

One of my favorite things about reading historical fiction is learning about events that I never knew happened, and I’m often floored by the fact that these events had never been taught in school.

In 1944, the city of Oak Ridge Tennessee was a secret. The town was a secret. The employees were a secret. The factory building an atomic bomb was a secret. And the fact that the employees were building a bomb was a secret, even to those working to build it.

The Women of Oak Ridge tells the story of Maebelle Willett in 1944, a fictional character in Oak Ridge, who takes the job to send money home to her impoverished family. Simultaneously, the book tells the story of Maebelle’s niece, Laurel in 1979. Laurel is a graduate student, hoping to learn about the history and emotional impacts of Oak Ridge, including her aunt’s role in all of it.

What Laurel quicky learns is that her aunt has secrets she does not want to share, piquing Laurel’s curiousity, and forcing Mae to face a past she has shoved down for decades.

I loved the dual timeline of this book. Shocklee weaved the past and future stories together seamlessly. I was fascinated by the history of Oak Ridge, and found myself on Google anxious to learn more.

My only critisims of this book are that 1. having done the math, I realized Aunt Maebelle would only be in her 50’s in 1979, but the book made her seem rather elderly, and 2. I felt the realizations at the end of the book were a little rushed and I wish there had been a little more emotion in the underlying love story.

Overall, an excellent and informative read. 4.5/5 stars from me. I’m excited to see the final version and read the author’s note on this book.

I had been in a bit of a reading slump, forcing myself through a few of the last ARCs I've read. Michelle Shocklee's "The Women of Oak Ridge" had me devouring every. single. word! You will definitely need some tissues before finishing this one.

WWII was such a devastating war and had long-term effects on many, my father-in-law for one. "The Women of Oak Ridge' details some of those effects on those who worked unknowingly on the atomic bombs. The pressures of secrecy on the employees and the stress of not knowing if there was a spy among them.

Laurel accidentally stumbled upon 'the secrets' of Oak Ridge when she overheard a news broadcast concerning the town, the same town where her Aunt Mae lived. Since Laurel was embarking on her doctorate in psychology, she decided this might be the topic she needed for her thesis. Little did she know when she headed to Oak Ridge and her aunt's house exactly how much she would learn and how many lives would be changed forever.

Releases Sep. 9th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Michelle Shocklee writes books that stay with you. I had never heard of the secret city of Oak Ridge before reading this wonderful book. Rich in history, mystery and romance and the hard lesson of keeping secrets and the freedom that comes when they're no longer hidden. It also explored how different people live with guilt. The ending was so very satisfying and I highly recommend this book!

I was so excited to get the chance to read an advanced copy of the newest book from one of my favorite authors, Michelle Shocklee. I have to say that the cover of, “The Women of Oak Ridge,” is fantastic. The book itself lived up to my expectations, and ranks up there close to the top of her novels just below, “Under the Tulip Tree.”

Having read a vast array of historical fiction, I was thrilled to get to read about a subject that is completely new to me. I had never heard of the Secret City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. How fascinating to learn that most of the thousands of employees that worked there never knew what they were accomplishing in their jobs. Ms. Shocklee adds a bit of a mystery to the story along with a very despicable bad guy to worry about along the way. As usual I preferred the story in the past rather than the more recent narrative. However, I did find both very interesting and enjoyed both time periods.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This book was wonderful! It was very well written and very heart wrenching. It made me feel so many emotions. I would highly recommend this book.

When I'm opening a new Michelle Shocklee book, I know that I have to be ready to invest into a story with depth. Wherever this story is going to take me, there is going to be a lesson learned. If I could sum up this story's message I think it would be that secrets hurt and that we try to convince ourselves that our sins are so horrible that God cannot forgive them.

This book is a dual timeline between early WW1 and 1979. Maebelle is in both timelines--her main story plays out in WW1 and her niece is the primary POV during 1979. As the synopsis states, this book follows Maebelle as she travels from her coal mine shack to work at Oak Ridge--no idea she's a part of the Manhattan Project. she gets caught up in something bigger when her friend goes missing one day and that something haunts her even in 1979 as an old woman.

Laurel is her niece earning a master's degree in psychology who stumbles across the fact that Oak Ridge was where components were made for the Manhattan project--where her own Aunt Maebelle worked! so she heads down to collect research thru interviews with people who use to work there...but it shocked with Maebelle refuses to talk about her experiences. Declaring that some secrets should just stay in the past.

I loved the relationship between Maebelle and laurel. It was so sweet!

I think the way the onion of this plot was pealed back was done very well. Given bits and pieces ourselves as we try to figure everything out too.

The message of how secrets can continue to fester and hurt years and years later is good for us to remember. And also that once we ask for forgiveness from God for our sins, we have to trust that we ARE forgiven! So we don't have to keep lugging that burden around any longer.

While not one of my favorites by this author, I enjoyed learning more about Oak Ridge.

4 Stars

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

In The Women of Oak Ridge, Michelle Shocklee has written a masterpiece that combines history, mystery, and a touch of romance.

This novel brings to life one of America’s best kept secrets during WWII. Oak Ridge, TN, was built for the sole purpose of enriching Uranium to be used in developing the atomic bomb. Mae Willet came to Oak Ridge from a small coal mining town in Kentucky to help her family financially. She finds her self caught in a trap she can’t escape. For years she’s kept the secret buried and lived with immense guilt. With the help of family and friends she learns to let go of the guilt and walk in the freedom that God’s forgiveness gives us.

I love the theme of forgiveness is the book. Michelle simply and beautifully illustrated God’s love for us when he shed His blood on the cross to forgive our sins. It’s that forgiveness that makes us free from guilt.

I loved all the history woven into the book as well. I had never heard of Oak Ridge. I was blown away by the fact that the K-25 plant alone cost five hundred million dollars to build in the 1940s.

Over all this book is amazing and definitely making my top favorites list for 2025!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this incredible book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I could give this 10 ✨ I definitely would 💯 even better!!! This book was a page turner, on the edge or your seat, I have to, have to, have to know book!!! It kept me up late - why you ask?? The setting Oak Ridge, Tennessee! My family has been part of that area from Rhea, Roane, Morgan, Anderson and Knox counties since 1800. But my Uncle Jack owned a sporting goods and hardware store right there on the Square mentioned in the book and also worked in the facility. My Aunt Gail on the other side of my family also worked there too. I don’t know what their jobs were but this brought this whole exciting novel to life for me. I want to go HOME just so I can travel through the town and experience it the way Laurel did with Jonas or the way Mae did.
I was absolutely thrilled to read this book!
Thanks for the opportunity to read this!!!!!

The premise of The Women of Oak Ridge is fascinating: how did people who unknowingly helped build the atomic bomb feel after hearing it was used in Japan, killing civilians? While I had heard of Los Alamos, I have never heard of facilities in Oak Ridge that were part of the Manhattan Project so I was hooked right from the start

Michelle Shocklee writes so many layers in this book. There is racial injustice, characters caught between a rock and a hard place, and interesting family dynamics. Laurel and Mae's aunt/niece relationship is so tender and sweet. I love how Laurel wants to honor her aunt's wishes, but also doesn't want to leave her in the state of despair she is in.

Mae's Oak Ridge timeline was my favorite because it really make me think. How far would I go to keep my loved ones safe? Would I be counter-cultural if I saw injustice? I found myself thinking "how would I handle this situation" while reading this novel. I always think that's a sign of a great book. This is one that you won't regret reading!!

Specials thanks for NetGalley and Tyndale House for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.