THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE and A Guide to Oak Ridge, Tennessee

 

Have you ever wanted to visit the 

setting of a novel? 

If you're like me, when I read a book, more often than not, I come away with a strong desire to see the setting in person. It's so fun when readers let me know they've been inspired to visit the settings of my novels, which include Nashville, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Tullahoma, TN. 

My novel THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE is set in Oak Ridge, TN. Located 20 miles from Knoxville, Oak Ridge is a quaint town tucked in the beautiful hills of East Tennessee. I had a grand time researching the history of Oak Ridge for the novel, but I also thoroughly enjoyed spending time in what was once known as a "Secret City" during World War II. Why was it secret? Because Oak Ridge is where all the uranium for the Little Boy atomic bomb was enriched before being sent to Los Alamos, NM, where the bomb was assembled.

Many of the locations I used in the book are still there, although they look a bit different than they did in 1945 and 1979. I was also happy to indulge in some delicious food at a couple local restaurants, just like some of the characters do in the story!

Here's a guide to some of the must-see's I visited while writing THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE! 

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STOP #1: The American Museum of Science & Energy

The American Museum of Science and Energy is a science museum in Oak Ridge, TN, designed to teach visitors about energy, especially nuclear power, and to document the role Oak Ridge played in the Manhattan Project. LOTS of fascinating information and hands-on exhibits. The museum also offers Bus Tours. 

I was honored to be a guest speaker at the AMSE Nuclear Science week in October 2025.  

 

STOP #2: The Guest House

The Guest House provided a comfortable resting place for official visitors to Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project. Well known figures including General Leslie Groves, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Secretary of War Henry Stimson spent many nights socializing and resting in the Guest House. After the war, it was used as a motor inn. Today the historic building is a Senior Living Community. 

Front porch of the Guest House

Chapel on the Hill

STOP #3: Chapel on the Hill

Completed in October 1943, this standard military chapel was one of three military chapels constructed at Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project. A Baptist minister named it “Chapel on a Hill” during a dedication prayer on September 30, 1943. In THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE, Mae attends church and a wedding at this chapel, located up the hill from the dormitories. 

STOP #4: The Tennis Courts

Tennis courts were used for more than just tennis during the war. Being one of the few places in town that was paved, tennis courts were ideal for dancing on warm summer nights when recreation halls were too hot. Mae and her friends from the dorm enjoy dancing at the tennis courts in the book. The National Park services hold dances at the tennis courts during the warmer months. The last two dances this year will be on September 18 and October 23, 2025. I'll be in Oak Ridge on October 23 and plan to dance the night away!

A view of the tennis courts from in front
of the Guest House

STOP #5: Jackson Square

Jackson Square lies at the center of the historic district, which once served as the city’s original town site. During World War II, this area was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today Jackson Square features a variety of eclectic shops, delicious restaurants, lush gardens, and historic displays.

 

STOP #6: The Swimming Pool

Prior to its construction in 1945, the site of the community swimming pool featured a small, spring-fed pond. In THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE, Mae and her roommate Sissy visit the pool and have their photograph taken by Ed Westcott, the only person allowed to take pictures of Oak Ridge during the war. The real photograph Mr. Westcott took of young women at the pool inspired my descriptions of Mae and Sissy. You can find it on the Pinterest Page I created for the book. 

STOP #6: K-25 Museum and Viewing Platform

Now we'll head out of town and go approx. 15 miles to the K-25 site. While the enormous building Mae worked in is no longer standing, visitors can see the giant "footprint" of it from the brand new viewing platform, right next to the K-25 History Center. It's astonishing to see just how big K-25 was! You don't want to miss this!

US Government photograph; public domain

A bike from K-25,
just like the one Mae rode!

Me and the K-25 "Footprint"

STOPS #7 & #8: It's Time to Eat!

While you're in Oak Ridge, you'll want to grab a slice of delicious pizza from Big Ed's. You'll also want to take a short drive to Clinton, TN, and treat yourself to something yummy from Hoskins Drugstore & Soda Fountain. Laurel and Jonas enjoyed dining at both of these restaurants in the book. 

At Hoskins Drugstore in Clinton, TN

For more information, stop by The Oak Ridge Convention & Visitor Bureau.  You can also take a Self-Guided Walking Tour. Maps are available.

I hope you've enjoyed this virtual trip to Oak Ridge. 

If you get a chance to go in person, have fun visiting the 

Secret City!

For more information on where to purchase your copy of 

THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE, a WWII - Manhattan Project story,

click HERE!!

Blessings,

Michelle

Publishers Weekly Review of THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE

 I'm always grateful when Publishers Weekly 

reviews one of my books! 

Not every secret needs to be told.

Some just need to be forgotten.

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
• RELEASES September 9, 2025

To PREORDER, click HERE!

To read the full PW review, click HERE!

COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY!

 Hello, all!

I'm thrilled to share the title and cover of my upcoming 2025 release with you! 

Here she is!

Isn't she gorgeous?! I'm positively in love with the details of this cover, because it gives readers a wonderful glimpse into the story. I wasn't sure how the designer would incorporate all the fascinating historical details that make up the setting of Oak Ridge in 1944, but she surpassed my expectations! The factory you see behind Mae, the main character in the World War II story, is taken from a photograph of one of the plants that enriched uranium for the atomic bomb! 

Here's a summary of the story:

“Not every secret needs to be told. Some just need to be forgotten.”


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.

I had a grand time researching the history of Oak Ridge, known as a "Secret City" during World War II.  I'll share more about the fascinating history that went into the book in the coming months. 

PREORDER is available now!

The book will release in September 2025! 

STAY TUNED to my social media pages and this BLOG for updates!

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IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!

UPDATE:

The giveaway has ended. I've notified the winner, Emily P., via Instagram message.

THANK YOU for helping me celebrate the cover reveal, everyone!

To celebrate the Cover & Title reveal of THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE, I'm giving away ONE copy of an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of the book as soon as they're available. To participate in the drawing, you'll need to do a few things: 

• TO RECEIVE TWO ENTRIES: I want to grow my Instagram account. To receive TWO entries for the giveaway, please:
• 1) "FOLLOW" my page 
• 2) "LIKE" the post with the cover of THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE 
• 3) TAG a friend in the comments

•  TO RECEIVE ONE ENTRY: go to my Author Michelle Shocklee Facebook page and please: 
• "FOLLOW" my page 
• TAG a friend in the comments on the post with the cover of THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE. 

• TO RECEIVE ONE ENTRY: Leave a comment on this BLOG POST and tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when I say "Oak Ridge, Tennessee." (If this is your only entry, please include a way for me to contact you.)

That's a total of up to FOUR entries available for each person!  

The GIVEAWAY ends Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM CST.

USA only. Winner will be notified through Instagram or Facebook. 

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THANK YOU 

for helping me celebrate a new book! 

I can hardly wait to share this story 

with you!

                       ~Michelle