I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!!! I had never even heard of the secret city of Oak Ridge (history was never my strong subject 🫣🤣), but Michelle Shocklee brought it to life in such a vivid and captivating way. The history practically jumped off the page, making it impossible to put down! I was completely drawn into the POVs of Laurel and Mae, both so rich, emotional, and full of depth. The storyline flowed seamlessly, balancing suspense, emotion, and heart in every chapter. And Aunt Mae’s past? Absolutely fascinating, I couldn’t wait to uncover her younger years. This book is a MUST READ for historical fiction fans. Michelle Shocklee has written a masterpiece that stays with you long after the final page!

This book was full of history in the form of a novel. I learned a lot as I read the book. I loved how Michelle switched between Laurel and Mae in the telling. Mae's story mostly takes place in her time at the secret location in Oak Ridge, TN. Laurel was her niece visiting her in the late 1970's was she was doing research for her dissertation. This was a very hard book to out down and I was sad to see it end. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this book!

The Women of OakRidge by Michele Shocklee is a unique look into the Manhattan Project during World War II. Most students who have studied World War II have learned about the Manhattan Project, but never heard about a little town that helped create the atomic bomb. Readers will enjoy how Shocklee takes the stories of characters who actually worked and dealt with the issues there and brought it to the forefront of their knowledge. The characters' struggle and defeat were realistic and harrowing. Mae's story will keep readers' guessing and wondering what really happened. I couldn't read fast enough. I really want to know what happened. Why did it affect her so much? What happened to her? Shocklee laid out a wonderful story, and I felt engrossed in the plot. This story reminded me a lot of her story The Tulip Tree, that I absolutely loved and still think about today. I recommend this story and hope others love it as well as I did.

I received a complimentary copy of The Women of OakRidge of Michelle Shocklee from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

This captivating story is impossible to put down. Shocklee weaves an intriguing narrative set in the early 1940s in the real town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, known as the “Secret City” during World War II due to its classified work.
Nineteen-year-old Maebelle Willett is thrilled to start her new government job in Oak Ridge, intending to send money back to her parents in Kentucky. In this tightly controlled environment, all employees are drilled on the importance of secrecy; they cannot share any information they learn, even with one another. Mae becomes increasingly concerned when her beloved roommate, Sissy, begins to divulge what is clearly confidential information. Then, to Mae's horror, Sissy disappears without a trace. In her quest to find Sissy, Mae unwittingly becomes embroiled in a situation that will change the course of her life forever.
Fast forward to 1979, where Laurel, a graduate student, is writing a thesis on the fascinating history of Oak Ridge. What better resource is there than her Aunt Mae, who lived through those transformative years? Although Mae is pleased to see her niece, she is resolute about keeping the details of her life in the Secret City a secret. Determined to uncover the truth, Laurel delves into historical research at the local library and interviews her aunt's friends who still live nearby, only to find herself drawn deeper into the mystery surrounding Sissy's disappearance. As more information comes to light, the secrets that Mae has held onto for many years could have disastrous consequences.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7818494535

Imagine starting a job where, on day one, you’re grilled with questions like:

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Would you turn in a family member if they did something illegal?”

“Would you ever belong to an organization that wished to overthrow the government?”

Then you’re fingerprinted and read the Espionage Act of 1917—complete with a reminder that disloyalty could mean prison… or death. This was Mae’s introduction to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1944.

During WWII, Oak Ridge was a secret city built to enrich uranium for the atomic bomb. Thousands of women were recruited from across the country, told only that their jobs were “vital to the war effort.”

In The Women of Oak Ridge, Michelle Shocklee tells their story through two timelines: Mae Willett’s wartime experience in the 1940s, and her niece Laurel’s visit in 1979 to do research for her dissertation. The focus of her paper was on how the secrecy of those days followed the women after the war. Aunt Mae was especially reluctant to share — as some secrets don’t fade with time.

Not only did I feel I wanted to defend Mae from the harshness of her new life in the city, I also was a bit riled up over the racial segregation of the age.

White women lived in dorms with dances and tennis courts. Black women were assigned janitorial work, housed in plywood shacks, and excluded from most social spaces. It’s uncomfortable to read, but it adds depth and honesty to the setting.

I’m not usually drawn to split-time narratives, but Mae’s chapters hooked me. Her personal struggles and the slow build of mystery kept me turning pages. Laurel’s research interviews were more fact-heavy, which slowed the pace at times, but when the mystery of the missing roommate ramped up, I was all in.

The faith content is light—prayers in hard moments and gentle reminders of grace and forgiveness. These themes are delivered through strong, brave characters and woven naturally into the story.

This is the second Michelle Shocklee book I’ve read, and she’s gifted at tackling messy history with honesty, anchoring it to compelling characters and a meaningful storyline. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with mystery, courage, and a touch of grace.

I received a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of Tyndale Publishers through NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews in exchange for my honest review.

Both timelines struck me as fascinating and pulled at my heartstrings. The first was Maebelle Willett's 1944 participation in the Manhattan Project. It was tremendous how the manufacturing facilities operated and how hard they worked to hide everything from everyone, including their employees.

Laurel Willett stayed with her Aunt Maebelle for the summer of 1979. She is starting her doctoral studies and research on the Manhattan Project, which focuses on how people reacted when they learned they were developing an atomic bomb.

It was startling to learn what the president and those in power did to ensure the world would not know that they were developing an atomic weapon. I was intrigued by the process they went through to make the bomb while keeping it hidden from everyone. It was staggering to learn how they fed, sheltered, and kept everything organized.

One intriguing plot point that startled me was the mystery surrounding Mabelle's roommate's fate. I like how the author built suspense right up until the very end.

I highly recommend this book for your book club pick. It’s a compelling read with lots to talk about. If you haven’t read a book by this author, you must read this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


“Not every secret needs to be told. Some need to just be forgotten.” (Aunt Mae)

Secrets are the overriding theme to Michelle Shocklee’s new historical fiction, mystery - THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE. In fact, the town of Oak Ridge was itself a secret, for the first few years of its existence. The people and industry in this backwoods town contributed to one of the most significant historical events and no one, outside of a few executive level, high clearance politicians, had any idea they existed. Even the people living and working there, for the most part, had no idea what they were involved in. This is their story as told thru the experiences of a few women.

In 1944, Mae Willet heeds FDR’s call to serve and answers and add. She leaves her parents two room, Kentucky coal mining, company owned shack, for the promise of a job offering in Tennessee with a salary many times greater than anything she could earn in Kentucky, so she could send money back to her parents and help the country. Here is one of the two timelines and Mae is our bridge. She is also the bearer of secrets. One involves her roommate and the other, herself. Both young women are involved in a dating relationship that ends up being problematic.

Laurel is Mae’s niece. In 1979, she’s looking to connect with her Aunt who still lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; timeline
two. Laurel is working on her PhD. and interviews with women who worked at the facility in Oak Ridge during the war will be a big part of her research. Mae’s friends and neighbors are very accommodating. Mae refused and actually seems fearful. She has health issues and then experiences an accident, both of which play into Laurel, with the help of an handsome cop, hunting down the reason why Aunt Mae is guarding her secret so tightly. What is she afraid of after all this time?

It’s obvious that Shocklee has done much research for this project. The history is woven into the story very naturally and never feels like the dreaded “info dump”. The character Mae is portrayed as much older than her chronological age, which should be in her mid fifties. When I stopped to really think about it, however, I’m judging her by 2025 standards. Forty-five years ago, my grandmother was OLD, much older than a woman in her mid sixties or seventies is today; so many things have changed, especially our mindsets. All that to say that in retrospect, the characterizations are spot on.

World building is not something I would usually discuss in this type of book but the town of Oak Ridge literally grew up in the middle of nowhere and remained secreted for years. Shocklee had to create a self contained community and culture which was done quite successfully. In fact, the idea of placing sidewalks thru mud gave me an idea for my backyard that worked out quite nicely!

My only quibble with this book is the formatting. It’s told in alternating timelines between Laurel and Mae. Because I read from a rough eCopy, it was very difficult to notice the chapter breaks and I often missed the change in voice for a few paragraphs. I’m hoping the finished volume will be significantly better, perhaps complete page breaks with headers. This is one secret readers could do without!

Shocklee writes inspirational fiction so you won’t find any foul language, sexual content or graphic violence. There are Bible quotes, prayers and conversations about religious beliefs and faith in God without being preachy.

Recommended for readers of historical fiction, cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, southern fiction and friendship fiction with political themes📚

Read and reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks

This dual timeline story alternates between Mae’s story in 1944 and her niece Laurel’s story in 1979. Laurel is writing her dissertation about the effect of working (unknowingly at the time) on the atomic bomb in secret, and Aunt Mae doesn’t want to tell her story. It’s a slow burn to find out why, and there is a lot of social justice commentary of life in both time periods which was unrelated to the plot.

The story explores how guilt and secrets can cripple a life, how good works cannot assuage a conscious, and how forgiveness can set one free. This is a lovely read that I enjoyed.

This is Christian fiction so expect prayer and discussions of faith and Jesus.

Family friendly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Women of Oak Ridge- Michelle Shocklee
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: September 9, 2025

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishing for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Written in dual timelines, this follows the lives of Mae Willett during WWII in Oak Ridge Tennesse and her neice Laurel in 1979.

The author did an incredible job of weaving the two timelines together. I loved reading about life in Oak Ridge Tennesse for many working on the Manhattan Project. I could hardly put this novel down.

"All we can do is seek God's forgiveness for things known and unknown, and trust in his grace to cover it all."

It's another stunning novel by Michelle Shocklee. I don't usually read historical fiction set in the 60s and 70s but have grown to love and appreciate how the author masterfully juxtaposes the 40s with the 60s/70s in her novels. In this book, she takes us to Oak Ridge, TN - in 1944 when the Manhattan Project is at its height and in 1979 when secrets from those war days come to light. Mae's first person voice in 1944 showed how a naive, optimistic, and patriotic young woman found herself in the midst of a secret project that no one was allowed to speak about. I learned so much about the facilities and the way of life at Oak Ridge which literally rose from the ground with the uranium purification facilities. I loved Laurel's kind, thoughtful, inquisitive first person voice in 1979 as she delved into the personal history of those who worked and lived in Oak Ridge during the war.
It's crazy to think what happened to Mae in 1944 could have happened to so many others. There was plenty of intrigue, mystery, and secrecy happening in 1944 timeline which all hinted at the why of Mae's reactions. I loved the elements of faith, grace, and forgiveness that Velvet and Roonie brought into the story. Mae and Garlyn's friendship and Jonas and Laurel's relationship added nice touches of romance to the story.

If you enjoy historical fiction, you will definitely want to read this book. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Tyndale House via Interviews and Reviews and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

I tore through this dual-timeline historical by Michelle Shocklee like it was top-secret intel. Equal parts gripping mystery, wartime history, and soul-stirring redemption tale, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙊𝙖𝙠 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 is the kind of book that haunts you—in the best way.

Set in a town that technically “didn’t exist” during WWII, the novel follows Maebelle Willett, a coal miner’s daughter with grit, guts, and secrets that could rattle the atomic core. Jump forward to 1979, and her niece Laurel is trying to pull those secrets out with tweezers, a thesis project, and maybe a little bit of stubborn Willet DNA.

WHAT I LOVED
🕵️‍♀️ A slow-burning mystery with missing persons, classified documents, and one stubborn aunt
👩‍🔬 Fascinating historical backdrop—you will absolutely Google Oak Ridge halfway through
🧨 Faith, forgiveness, and atomic secrets—a cocktail you didn’t know you needed
🧓🏽 A refreshingly non-romanticized portrayal of aging, regret, and reconciliation
📚 A niece-aunt relationship that feels like a gentle unraveling of heartstrings

👀 WHAT TO WATCH FOR (Spoiler free) 👀
• A missing roommate who vanishes like smoke—literally no one’s talking
• A bicycle and a badge that might just solve everything
• The best fictional use of a thesis project since Elle Woods’ Harvard entrance
• One very unamused rooster 🐓 (okay not really, but it felt like he was judging me)

💭 FINAL THOUGHTS
The real genius of this book? It doesn’t just tell a story—it asks questions. How much should we sacrifice for our country? For our family? What if the truth could destroy someone—or set them free?

Michelle Shocklee doesn’t just write books—she writes truths wrapped in fiction. This one’s layered like an onion in a top-secret lunchbox. A must-read for fans of Lisa Wingate or anyone who’s ever wondered what it means to carry the weight of history—and how we let it go.

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
🤬 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲: No profanity, no crude language
🛁 𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: None (clean, no open-door or fade-to-black scenes)
🥊 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: One off-page death/disappearance (not graphic); mild references to danger/tension.
⚠️ 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: References to racial injustice and segregation, war-related guilt and trauma, grief/loss, secrecy, spiritual wrestling with past choices.
🎦 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲/𝗧𝗩 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁: PG / TV-PG

⭐ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.5/5 - Gripping, clean, and deeply moving. Only reason for docking half a star—Mae’s age portrayal in 1979 felt 20 years too old, and the romantic subplot could’ve used just a smidge more tension/emotion. But honestly? Still top-shelf fiction.

Excellent book, which goes to two periods during world war 2 and in 1979. Mae Willett had lived majority of her life worried about secrets she had kept during the time she was working at K25. Everything was top secret, and no-one was able to discuss it at the time. The reveals God love and grace in our lives and how he forgives us. Laura, Mae niece is at University and for her PhD programme decides to do it on Oak Ridge during world world 2 and goes to visit her aunt to start interviewing people. The book covers romance in both time periods, and how things can get in the way of true love. Mystery, and disappearance during the war and how it affects people. I fully enjoyed the book and learning more about what happened during the war.

I really liked this book. And I know I only gave it three stars, but I'm going to justify myself in a minute.

The things I liked: the characters and how their thoughts were written. The romance. The story itself, and the investigation of the characters, even those who don't work in the police department. Especially those. The fact that the book was extremely well researched, and made me learn some things about Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project during World War II. The ending (yes, I cried).

The things I didn't like: the way the characters talked. It felt too... mechanical for me. And honestly, it even prevented me from relating to some of the most important characters (I'm thinking of Laurel here). The beginning of the book, which was definitely slow. I loved Mae's chapters from the beginning, probably because they were set during the war, but I had a trouble with Laurel's chapters until the end (probably for the reason just before). And I know I said before that I loved the ending, but it also didn't surprise me (which probably wasn't the point).

But the book is definitely worth reading! It had just the right amount of drama, mystery, romance, and yes, faith (though that's not why I would have read it in the first place).

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for this Advanced Reader Copy. All the opinions above are my own.

An interesting dual-timeline book.

Touches on some difficult times, but well written.

Characters are engaging & likeable.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.

This book was such a nice surprise for me. I hadn't read any of Michelle Shocklee's works before, and this was just a shining example of a hidden gem!

Mae Willett, the daughter of a poor coal miner, takes a job working in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The job, and the people she meets in Oak Ridge, are shrouded in secrecy - secrecy about what they are doing in Oak Ridge, and forced secrecy from revealing any information to the outside world. Mae befriends Sissy, her roommate, but not everything is as it seems. Sissy soon disappears and Mae is forced to investigate what happened to her, putting herself and those she loves in danger. 30 years later, Mae's niece, Laurel, is working on her dissertation about Oak Ridge, but is met with reluctance from her aunt to discuss the past. Laurel and the local handsome policeman Jonas, uncover secrets that will help discover what happened to Sissy and allow Mae to come to grips with the past.

The story is told in dual timelines - sometimes this works well for me and sometimes it doesn't. The author does a great job in this one balancing the action of the past and the storyline of the present. The characters were well developed, and I was very invested in both storylines. This book is labeled as Christian Fiction, and while there are several references to religion and prayer, it is not the main focus of the novel.

One of the things I really love about historical fiction is that even though the stories are fiction, there is so much research that goes into writing the novel. I had not heard the story of Oak Ridge before - we always hear about the Manhattan Project and Los Alamos, but very little about Oak Ridge. Halfway through the novel, I was Googling Oak Ridge and reading about it's rich history. The book is very well researched and told in a way that seems very true to history.

Overall, a really great find. 4 ⭐s.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale Publishing for an advanced copy of the book. It's set to be published on September 9, 2025.

5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! I love the historical accuracy and redemption message that Michelle weaves together in this masterpiece. The suspense of Maebelle’s story of her time in Oak Ridge and her work for the Manhattan Project had me sucked into the story.

What did she know? What happened while she was there? Why didn’t she marry her one true love? Why won’t she leave Oak Ridge? These are all questions I found myself asking as I stayed up late reading.

This is an absolute must read, especially if you are a Michelle Shocklee fan.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are entirely my own.

#womenofoakridge #netgalleyreads #netgalley #newrelease #michelleshocklee #whattoreadnext #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks

This is my first book by Michelle Shocklee and wow! did it deliver! This is a captivating book full of secrets and mysteries. There are two time lines followed in the book, Mae and her niece, Laurel. The book weaves together the secrets of the past, fear, the struggle to keep loved ones safe, disappearances, heartbreaks and finally the joy of being completely free from the past, into a majestic tale. Set during World war II, this book is a must read for history fiction lovers.

Michelle Shocklee does it again! The Women of Oak Ridge is the gripping tale of secret towns in America that developed the atom bombs during WWII ... unbeknownst to the women working there. Researching her doctoral thesis, Laurel Willett comes to interview her Aunt Mae who worked there in the 1944, but Aunt Mae refuses to talk. As secrets unfold, tension mounts. This book kept me up all night—I couldn’t put it down. With more twists and turns than a world class rollercoaster, by the final page I was left wanting to start reading it all over again. The Women of Oak Ridge is a story you don’t want to miss. ~ Ane Mulligan, author of the award-winning Georgia Magnolias series.

Five stars for The Women of Oak Ridge
A powerful, dual-timeline story of secrets, sacrifice, and the legacy of war.
Told across 1944 and 1979, this beautifully layered novel follows Maebelle, a young woman working unknowingly on the Manhattan Project, and her niece Laurel, decades later, trying to uncover the truth her aunt has kept buried.

Michelle Shocklee masterfully weaves historical detail, mystery, and emotion into a deeply human story about the cost of silence and the healing power of truth. I couldn’t put it down.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate and Lynn Austin—this one lingers long after the final page.

This is a really interesting book. I didn’t like history much in school but as I’ve gotten older, I realize how much I missed. This book is a good example of I had never heard of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This book is a well written story about what the government had going on, during the war in Oak Ridge. It is very hard to not get into the details of the story of this book but I’m trying to keep it to a review not a book report. The story is interesting, the characters are believable and relatable. I will definitely recommend this book and will read others from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.