The Women of Oak Ridge

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.

1945. 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

1. Opening Credits
2. Dedication
3. Epigraph
4. Prologue
5. Chapter 1: Laurel
6. Chapter 2: Mae
7. Chapter 3: Laurel
8. Chapter 4: Mae
9. Chapter 5: Laurel
10. Chapter 6: Mae
11. Chapter 7: Laurel
12. Chapter 8: Mae
13. Chapter 9: Laurel
14. Chapter 10: Mae
15. Chapter 11: Laurel
16. Chapter 12: Mae
17. Chapter 13: Laurel
18. Chapter 14: Mae
19. Chapter 15: Laurel
20. Chapter 16: Mae
21. Chapter 17: Laurel
22. Chapter 18: Mae
23. Chapter 19: Mae
24. Chapter 20: Laurel
25. Chapter 21: Mae
26. Chapter 22: Laurel
27. Chapter 23: Mae
28. Chapter 24: Laurel
29. Chapter 25: Mae
30. Chapter 26: Laurel
31. Chapter 27: Mae
32. Chapter 28: Laurel
33. Chapter 29: Mae
34. Chapter 30: Laurel
35. Chapter 31: Laurel
36. Epilogue
37. Authors Note
38. Closing Credits