The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee

 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.

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About 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

 

My Review

 

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.