The Women of Oak Ridge

By: Michelle Shocklee

Libby ebook

Published:  2025

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

Set in 1944 and 1979 Oak Ridge, Tennessee, this story follows Mae Willett from a Kentucky coal miner's family to the very secret Oak Ridge for a job to support her family. In the 1979 sections, her niece Laurel is trying to learn more about the experiences of women who worked at this top secret government facility, enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. Only Aunt Mae is beyond reticent to talk about the war years and her experiences.

 

I bookmarked a LOT but will try to just "hit the high points" in this entry.

 

Prologue: "I am sure that they will cheerfully help to pay a large part of its financial cost while it goes on. I am sure they will cheerfully give up those material things that they are asked to give up. 

And I am sure that they will retain all those great spiritual things without which we cannot win through." 

 

Theoretically, this is part of a speech that President Roosevelt gave, I wasn't curious enough to search for it, but his repetition of the word cheerfully seems incongruous to the message.

 

Chapter 1: "No one wants to talk about those days. The past is in the past. Best to leave it there."

 

 It's interesting that Laurel went to spend time with her aunt, intending to do research for her PhD, but didn't realize that Mae did NOT want to talk about it. This caused some ongoing tension for the two of them.

 

Chapter 1: "Not every secret needs to be told. Some just need to be forgotten."

 

I guess it depends on what the secret is and what might come about from revealing it, but in general, hidden secrets tend to cause damage to someone.

 

Chapter 1: My friends tended to label me as driven. Whether or not it was a compliment depended on the situation.

 

Yes! I think most character traits can be negative or positive, depending on the situation and the degree to which they are exercised.

 

Chapter 2: She'd saved our shoe ration coupon for a special occasion, but I was familiar enough with the greedy practices of the company-owned store to know the exorbitant price would be added to the already enormous debt Pa owed.

 

I hate greed, especially when greedy people prey upon needy people! Mae's Pa had already given his health and life to the coal mine owners . . . yuk.

  

Chapter 3:  "I don't get to talk about those days much, and unlike your aunt, I believe there's value in telling our stories. After all, no one on the planet experienced what we did."

 

I didn't like how nosy Georgeanne got as the story went on, but I appreciated her willingness to be interviewed by Laurel and the information she shared. I also value telling stories.

 

Chapter 3: My generation and generations to come need to hear those stories. We can't change the historical facts or the outcomes, but we can learn from them."

 

Laurel sums up a part of the reason she wants to hear about these stories. Learning from the past is a noble goal.

 

Chapter 3: "The whole thing was upsetting, but people didn't have any choice. If the government said they had to go, they had to go." 

 

Laurel is still talking with Georgeanne here. I can't imagine the government telling me to get out because they need the land where my house is more than I need it. Sixty thousand acres and only short notice to vacate!

 

Chapter 4: "You stand in long lines, ride in crowded buses, and walk through mud every day. I don't see how being in a Hollywood movie can even compare to this, do you?"

 

I loved the humor in this as young Mae and Sissy are becoming friends.

 

Chapter 5: "I was happy, then I was sad. There were days when I couldn't stop thinking that I had a part in killing all those people. It bothered me. It bothered me for a long time afterwards, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I ultimately had to stop thinking about it and move on, so that's what I did. That's what we all did."

 

The moral dilemma of realizing what their work was leading to was well written about. I think the author handled sensitively the issues of sorrow and thankfulness regarding atomic weapons.

 

Chapter 7: "The average age of Oak Ridgers was twenty-five, which was fun and strange all at the same time."

 

That sounds like a lot of fun! If there were tens of thousands of young workers there, that would be a ripe situation for lots of interactions.

 

Chapter 7: That is a terrible, heartbreaking fact. It's easy to look back on history and make judgement calls about what should or shouldn't have been done. We can debate the decision to use the bomb from now until eternity, but it won't change things. All we can do is learn from it and pray a weapon like that is never used again."

 

 Elliot Tyson has granted Laurel an interview and sharing his honest perspective. Jonas Tyson is protective of his father and clearly interested in Laurel.

 

Chapter 9: "I imagine most of us take for granted what we see every day. The familiar doesn't usually leave a lasting impression on us." 

 

This is an interesting idea. I'm often guilty of not being observant of what's around me. I love the idea of mindfulness and paying close attention to what I can currently hear, see, smell, taste, feel . . . 

 

Chapter 10: " . . . He said the Bible tells us we've got to trust the Father with everything, including the people we love. The hard part is letting go of control."

 Tears swam in her eyes. "I hardly pray for Joe anymore, because when I do, I start to cry. I want God to promise that Joe will come home and live to be an old man, but that promise never comes."

 

Mae and Sissy are talking about their lives, their families, their fears, their faith. I loved the friendship between these young women.

 

Chapter 17: We called what Aunt Mae was doing a defense mechanism, a key concept of psychoanalysis. People often use repression, usually unconsciously, to protect themselves from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and outer stressors.

 

Defense mechanisms can definitely be a strategy for coping with conflict and stress. I prefer freedom in Christ!

 

 Chapter 22: The kindness of these people meant more than they would ever know.

 

I love that Velvet and Roonie showed up at the hospital and in separate cars! They were there for Mae AND for Laurel. Velvet was probably my favorite character in the entire book, followed closely by Jonas.

 

Chapter 23: . . . it occurred to me I had no idea the depth of suffering Velvet and her family had endured because of hatred and ignorance.

 

Mae has accepted Velvet's invitation to come over for coffee and realizes how very differently black people are treated than white people, even on the "Reservation."

 

Chapter 26: "My sister has always been a woman of high morals. Our mama instilled biblical principles of honesty, integrity, and faithfulness in us from the time we were born."

 

Laurel's dad (Mae's little brother) has trouble thinking that his big sister may have acted in criminal activity during the war. 

 

Chapter 28: "Life is too short to be set on one certain idea and miss all the wonderful surprises that come along. Surprises that can alter what we thought was the right path for ourselves but actually ends up being the very thing we needed to make us happy."

 

Laurel's dad is both making an observation about his own life and giving some fatherly wisdom to his daughter. He's right. Life is too short to get stuck on a preconceived path and miss out on wonderful surprises. 

 

Chapter 30: "Guilt has a way of making us think God is too angry to forgive our sins. That we're too far gone to be saved, but grace says otherwise."

 

There are LOTS of great lines from Velvet in this chapter! She is really preaching it! 

 

I had about twice as many highlighted passages than I've blogged here . . . but nothing incredibly profound. I enjoyed this book except I kept yelling at young Mae to NOT get in the car with Clive and to tell someone (like her boss) the complete truth! Clive was a truly nasty character. I love that she was able to reconnect with Garlyn in the 1979 part of the book. I'm always sad when a person (fictional character or real life person) misses out on decades of life because of guilt, secrets, fear, shame, . . . it just seems such a waste!

 

We have book club in a few hours and this book is due back, so I'm glad to have blogged it! 

All We Thought We Knew

By: Michelle Shocklee

Hennepin County Library hardcover 346 pages plus author's note, acknowledgements, and discussion questions

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Our book club discussed this last Monday and I am far behind on blogging! I liked this book, but not nearly as much as the other Shocklee title we read and discussed in 2023 (Count the Night by Stars).

This story has Mattie Taylor in the 1960s, opposed to the Vietnam War and estranged from her family after her brother's death in that war. In the 1940s, we have Ava Delaney (it's quickly apparent that she is Mattie's mom) who is a young war widow after her husband Richard was killed at Pearl Harbor.

There were some mysteries, but the book was mostly clear about where the storylines were heading. Mattie (Martha) was pretty unsufferable in her know-it-all attitude and inflexibility to others' perspectives (not just about the war). Ultimately, though, there were enough interesting characters and details to make it a worthwhile read. We had a great discussion at book club.

Page 11: "The remembrance brought a soul-crushing hollowness with it. A deep void I'd endured since the day the telegram arrived, telling us my brother was never coming home. Nothing I'd tried the past year filled it. Drugs and free love masked it for a while. Yoga and Buddhist meditations hinted at peace, but the emptiness was always there. Dark. Dangerous. Pulling me toward a quick end to the pain."

So many people try to cover, hide, escape their emotional pain. Find Jesus! I think of the bumper sticker that says "No Jesus, No peace. Know Jesus, Know peace."

Page 17: "Most of the residents in the tenement were like him - foreigners hoping to improve their lot in life in America, the land of opportunity."

Gunther's story broke my heart. I think it hit me even harder seeing what is happening in America right now. Trump and his followers have that same "us vs. them" mentality about foreigners. I don't think our country is in a better place than in the 1940s regarding immigrants striving for a better life.

Page 22: "Any shred of hope Gunther had held on to since his arrest melted away as he looked across the dark water to the small patch of land where he'd taken his first steps onto American soil."

I cried here. He came to America to get away from the Nazi regime and to study to become a doctor. But because of his country of origin, he was arrested and punished.

 

Page 24: "The world continued to spin, and life went on, even if I wasn't ready to face it."

 

It's weird how during a trauma, you realize that other people are just going about their business and living their lives. You feel as though surely the world has stopped, but it's just your own situation.

 

Page 47: Despite the devastation in my life and in the world around me, I didn't want darkness and despair to win. Hope didn't make any promises, but it offered a glimpse of happiness, the kind I hadn't known in a very long time."

 

Ava is applying for a job at the base in Tennessee. Being a young widow was bad enough, but having a hostile mother-in-law was just too much. I liked her as a character.

 

Page  92: I'm not going to quote here. I was just so irritated by Mattie's selfish refusal to consider any opinion other than her own. Her insistence that if her dad really loved her mother, he would do anything and everything to fight the cancer is tone deaf. She wasn't considering what the challenges and pain would be for her mother; she just wanted to save the day and her mother's life. Although I can understand that desire, her selfish refusal to consider her parents' perspective was very immature.

Page 114: "If it were up to me, I'd keep the two of you right here on the farm with me and Dad forever, but I know I can't. That's where trust comes in. I've had to learn to trust that you're in God's hands, and that you'll make good choices according to the things we've taught you. I'll pray for Mark every single day, just as I'll be praying for you while you're in Nashville. But I have to let you both go."

Ava was a wise mom. Of course she wanted to protect Mark from the war and every other danger! She wanted to protect both her children. But she had to let them grow up and make their own decisions.

Page 135: "'Mattie, there comes a time when we have to accept that life and death are not in our hands. We in the medical profession do our best, but we aren't God. If I thought the doctors in Nashville could save your mom, I would've taken her there myself. The best thing you can do now is spend time with her and make her as comfortable as possible.'"

Dr. Monahan was wonderful. I'm glad Mattie finally started listening to someone instead of her own voice.

Page 161: "'You're not a horrible person.' His mouth quirked. 'A bit temperamental and overly sensitive, but not horrible.'" 

I loved Nash! He was my favorite character in the 1960s portion of the book. It was nice to have a little comic relief.

Page 185: When Mattie met Fred and started to show some compassion and awareness of other people's experiences and pain . . . it was a relief. I feel as though meeting the injured and depressed soldier was a turning point for her.

Page 227: "'I read an article in a medical journal not long ago about a doctor in Canada who started a therapeutic horseback riding program. If memory serves, his first patient was a woman who is quadriplegic.'"

Yay! I forget sometimes that things were quite different in the 1960s than they are now! This made me want to read about the history of these programs. It also made me think of Laurie Baer's His Haven Ranch. So cool!

Page 249: "Like many people in America, my mother-in-law and housemate passed judgement on thousands of people without knowing anything about them other than they were considered enemies of the United States."

Ugh. Again, just so sad. There are still many people like this.

Page 266: "I didn't know what just happened, but it felt monumental. Like a shift in the galaxy or something. Dad was a man of few words, so to hear him say he was proud of me - especially coming on the heels of his soul-wrenching reminder that I'd abandoned Mama when she needed me the most - completely caught me off guard."

I was so glad that Mattie and her dad were able to connect over the horses and helping wounded veterans.

Page 291: Ava finally confesses her big secret about who fathered Mattie and Mark. It was frustrating that it was such a huge, life-altering secret that was pretty apparent from early on in the book.

Page 292: "With nothing beyond dreary weather, barren landscape, and long boring hours to look forward to day after day, an escape through a good book was much appreciated."

I love that Gunther was able to read and appreciate books, and especially that Ava had given him her copy of a romance novel - I honestly don't remember if it was Pride and Prejudice or another similar title.

Page 306: "'You tried that once.' There was no judgement in his voice. Only compassion and honesty. 'Sometimes we can't run away from the hard things in life.'"

I loved Nash!

Page 316: I cried when Dr. Sonnenberg died. He had been such a wonderful mentor to Gunther. Lost dreams, lost lives.

Count the Nights by Stars

by Michelle Shocklee

Scott County Library paperback 381 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2022

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

This story is told from Priscilla's perspective in the late 1890s and from Audrey's perspective in 1961. Both women have a lot to say about life! I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Shocklee's Under the Tulip Tree . . . whether or not we read it for book club! (I just checked. It was published in 2020 and is available.)

I'm sorry I'll miss our discussion of this book, but I'll note here the places I put post-it notes.

Page 64 (Audrey): "Perhaps I was just as bad as that school principal and my classmate. Being angry about injustice was a good thing, but words without action to back them up are worthless."

She recognizes that there were times she resented her brother Emmett or just didn't want to be associated with him because of his mental retardation (what it was called in the 1960s). I sometimes think, "So what am I going to do about it?" when I'm faced with a frustrating injustice. The proverbial "thoughts and prayers" seem to be too trite of a response.

Page 80 (Audrey): "Since Mama's passing, Mrs. Ruth had done her best to fill the emptiness I hadn't even known was there until recently. Women need women to talk to, she'd say and encourage me to share my mind and feelings."

I wish we'd gotten to know Mrs. Ruth a little better. She was so sweet to help with Emmett and give Audrey this advice, but she never came out of the background. I've known some women who don't seem to want to form relationships with other women. I appreciate the women in my life who have offered advice, compassion, contrasting thoughts, etc. I'm blessed with amazing friends!

Page 91 (Audrey): "I don't think I'll ever understand why some people hate others for no reason other than they're different from themselves," I said, thinking of Emmett and how he was often mistreated by strangers.

"That seems to be a question for every generation that has ever existed."

Audrey and Jason were sweet together. I like how they were able to talk about the important things in life. Sometimes mindless hatred absolutely baffles me.

Page 153 (Audrey): "But that was a secret I hadn't told anyone. The very thought of pursuing it terrified me, yet the idea continued to float through my mind every so often."

She is contemplating a future working with children who have mental disabilities. I liked this line because  the "idea continued to float through my mind." I find that when I have a recurring idea like this, God is prompting me to do something!

Page 167 (Audrey): "A slow smile spread across his face. 'As you wish.'"

I immediately pictured The Princess Bride and Westley!

Page 175 (Audrey): "'I'm sorry I wasn't kinder to you,' I whispered, tears once again springing to my eyes and flowing down my cheeks. Guilt made my chin tremble. 'I'm sorry I didn't take the time to get to know you the way Emmett did.'

I sniffled and closed my eyes. I hadn't prayed much since Mama died, but now seemed a good time to start.

'God,' I whispered as tears dripped off my chin. 'Please don't take Miss Nichols. Not yet.'

The brief prayer was wholly inadequate and completely ineloquent, but it covered everything I wanted to say."

I love that Audrey realized that Miss Nichols had a whole life and history that made her a unique and special person! And I love that she started turning back to prayer.

Page 193 (Audrey): "'The truth is, Audrey, death and sorrow are part of this world. I don't know why Miss Nichols couldn't have been spared her suffering or why my husband was killed in the war or why your mother died when she was still needed by her family.' She walked over and handed the Bible to me. 'But what I am certain of is if we believe what this book says about God and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, then death isn't the end. It's only the beginning of something so wonderful we can't fully understand it.'"

Betty Ann was a pretty cool character. I liked her a lot! 

Page 225 (Audrey): "'I think I understand. Young people like us forget older people were young once, too.' He smiled at me. 'This whole experience has made me want to spend more time with my grandparents. I think I'd like to record their life stories. Who knows what family secrets I might uncover.'"

As Jason and Audrey go through Miss Nichols' scrapbook, they try to figure out some of the questions that arise. It's a cool journey!

Page 229 (Audrey): "His eyes sough mine. 'I miss your mother every day,' he said softly. 'She's never far from my thoughts.'"

Audrey's dad was so sweet! He and Audrey had some really neat conversations. I don't think most 1961 dads were this sensitive and communicative, but I loved it in this story!

Page 284 (Priscilla Nichols): "'Count your nights by stars, not shadows. Count your life with smiles, not tears.'"

When Luca said this to Priscilla, I knew the meaning right away (and love the connection for the title). He was such a gem of a guy! He truly wanted the best for her. Such a sweet romance.

Page 304 (Priscilla): "Wasn't that what we all longed for? To be seen? Truly seen?"

I love her boldness and her courage! I was surprised and pleased at her dad's response to her life choices (That comes a bit later, and on page 345, her mom finally makes nice.). (Priscilla decided to help Reverend Meyers and his wife to rescue girls out of prostitution work.)

Page 330 (Priscilla): "'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.'"

Mrs. Meyers was another cool character!

Page 361 (Luca to Priscilla): "'Who are we to tell God what he should or shouldn't do? I, too, wish things had turned out differently, but we cannot live in regrets. Choices were made that cannot be unmade.'"

Luca was the most fantastic male hero! Too bad how it ended . . . but I'm glad we finally found out! 

Page 371 (Luca to Priscilla): "'There are so many of them.' He grew somber. 'All so young. They need you. They need someone who cares if they live or die.'"

Sex trafficking is not new. And the young are preyed upon. This is a hard topic, but one that affects too many people!