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Secrets Well Kept
It’s March, 1943. World War II rages across the globe, and twenty-five-year-old Nora Lindstrom is about to take a huge leap of faith. One of the few women in the male-dominated field of physics, she travels to an undisclosed destination to undertake a vital, top-secret project that the government insists could help the Allies win the war.
At eighteen, Mary Trask is ready to put high school and the boy who wants to marry her in her rearview mirror. But what alternative could the future hold for the dyslexic daughter of a train conductor? When a cousin in Tennessee provides Mary with a cryptic job opportunity, she jumps at the chance to rewrite her life.
Nora and Mary are drawn together under impossible circumstances. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they find solace in their love for each other. But in a place where secrecy is paramount, their relationship is forever changed by the consequences of secrets well kept.
In this new historical fiction novel, award-winning author Lynn Ames returns us to a time where the contribution of women was often overlooked and the casualties of war were not always limited to the battlefield.
At eighteen, Mary Trask is ready to put high school and the boy who wants to marry her in her rearview mirror. But what alternative could the future hold for the dyslexic daughter of a train conductor? When a cousin in Tennessee provides Mary with a cryptic job opportunity, she jumps at the chance to rewrite her life.
Nora and Mary are drawn together under impossible circumstances. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they find solace in their love for each other. But in a place where secrecy is paramount, their relationship is forever changed by the consequences of secrets well kept.
In this new historical fiction novel, award-winning author Lynn Ames returns us to a time where the contribution of women was often overlooked and the casualties of war were not always limited to the battlefield.
250 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2019
27 people are currently reading
1621 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Ames
29 books286 followersLynn Ames is the best-selling author of sixteen books. She also is the writer/director/producer of the history-making documentary, “Extra Innings.” This historically important documentary chronicles, for the first time ever in her own words, the real-life story of Hall-of-Famer Dot Wilkinson and the heyday of women’s softball.
Lynn’s fiction has garnered her a multitude of awards and honors, including six Goldie awards, the coveted Ann Bannon Popular Fiction Award (for All That Lies Within), the Alice B. Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and the Arizona Book Award for Best Gay/Lesbian book. Lynn is a two-time Lambda Literary Award (Lammy) finalist, a Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award finalist, a Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards Honorable Mention winner, and winner of several Rainbow Reader Awards.
Ms. Ames is the founder of Phoenix Rising Press. She is also a former press secretary to the New York state senate minority leader and spokesperson for the nation’s third-largest prison system. For more than half a decade, she was an award-winning broadcast journalist. She has been editor of a critically acclaimed national magazine and a nationally recognized speaker and public relations professional with a particular expertise in image, crisis communications planning, and crisis management.
For additional information please visit her website at www.lynnames.com, or e-mail her at lynnamesauthor@gmail.com. You can also friend Lynn on Facebook and follow her on, YouTube, and Instagram.
Lynn’s fiction has garnered her a multitude of awards and honors, including six Goldie awards, the coveted Ann Bannon Popular Fiction Award (for All That Lies Within), the Alice B. Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and the Arizona Book Award for Best Gay/Lesbian book. Lynn is a two-time Lambda Literary Award (Lammy) finalist, a Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award finalist, a Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards Honorable Mention winner, and winner of several Rainbow Reader Awards.
Ms. Ames is the founder of Phoenix Rising Press. She is also a former press secretary to the New York state senate minority leader and spokesperson for the nation’s third-largest prison system. For more than half a decade, she was an award-winning broadcast journalist. She has been editor of a critically acclaimed national magazine and a nationally recognized speaker and public relations professional with a particular expertise in image, crisis communications planning, and crisis management.
For additional information please visit her website at www.lynnames.com, or e-mail her at lynnamesauthor@gmail.com. You can also friend Lynn on Facebook and follow her on, YouTube, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 13, 2019
A beautiful book and my favourite by this author. Read Chain Reactions first, THEN read this. You might get to the end of Chain Reactions and wonder if I'm sure. Yes, I definitely am. Trust me on this one.
July 16, 2019
One of the wonderful developments which has been made possible by the spread of the “information age” is our access to the hidden histories of women, particularly in the 20th century when their work was recorded and noted, but not publicized. With our ever increasing access to the cinematic and TV reels, the notes and minutes of a dramatic century we are coming to recognize the contribution of so many women to the huge endeavours that have changed the world: Ada Lovelace, who wrote the first algorithm intended to be executed by a computer, Grace Hopper was the first person to design a compiler for a programming language, Hedy Lamarr who developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes which was later incorporated into Bluetooth technology and used in legacy versions of Wi-Fi, Katherine Johnson, the mathematician we met and loved in “Hidden Figures” who took them to the moon and brought them home again.
Lynn Ames latest novel is exactly on point with a fictional historical romance based on the lives of the women who extracted the uranium used for the first atomic bombs. Unrecognized, either for praise or blame, women worked the dials, extracting the uranium the US needed to win the arms race and ultimately to force Japan to its knees. The majority of these women had no idea what they were doing, just did their best to support the war effort. But one woman did know, did understand the enormity of what they were doing, even if she couldn’t have imagined the destruction and human cost of the bombs that were dropped.
In Ames’ first book in the series “Chain Reactions” we meet the elderly Nora Lindstrom and learn of her immense contribution to the US war effort, not least her silence, and her subsequent grief and guilt for the impact of those dropped bombs. In “Secrets Well Kept” we jump back to 1943, to the reality of being the only woman with top level clearance at Oak Ridge, the site built for uranium extraction in Tennessee, part of the wider Manhattan Project. Alongside the sole woman physicist we meet the girls given training to turn the dials, balance the voodoo science that extracts the uranium.. “girls” who proved more competent at the task than the male PhD’s who always wanted to know why.
But like all Lynn Ames’ excellent stories there is a romance, illicit in many senses; 2 women goes without saying, but compounded by boss/worker and the explicit need for secrecy in terms of sexuality, relationship and war effort, doubled for Nora who knows what they are doing and the likely impact of their work. The romance is sweet and poignant, set in monumental times, which, literally, changed the world.
The history is compelling, given what we now know of the devastation caused to so many millions, and while we can recognize the Allies desperation to end the war with Japan, we will always question the annihilation of a whole city of souls, and then another, to make the point. The emotional impact of that later understanding on the people who made those bombs cannot be imagined, and the girls who worked the dials were purposefully kept in the dark, adding to the shock of discovering what they had been doing.
Overall an impactful book, made human, as always, by Lynn Ames’ excellent writing, her attention to detail and her emotive and sympathetic characters. But for me personally the real impact is that of a bunch of high school graduate level women, with no scientific training, being the instruments – and they were literally the tools – of the war machine that was determined to win the nuclear race and use that victory to end the war.
Lynn Ames latest novel is exactly on point with a fictional historical romance based on the lives of the women who extracted the uranium used for the first atomic bombs. Unrecognized, either for praise or blame, women worked the dials, extracting the uranium the US needed to win the arms race and ultimately to force Japan to its knees. The majority of these women had no idea what they were doing, just did their best to support the war effort. But one woman did know, did understand the enormity of what they were doing, even if she couldn’t have imagined the destruction and human cost of the bombs that were dropped.
In Ames’ first book in the series “Chain Reactions” we meet the elderly Nora Lindstrom and learn of her immense contribution to the US war effort, not least her silence, and her subsequent grief and guilt for the impact of those dropped bombs. In “Secrets Well Kept” we jump back to 1943, to the reality of being the only woman with top level clearance at Oak Ridge, the site built for uranium extraction in Tennessee, part of the wider Manhattan Project. Alongside the sole woman physicist we meet the girls given training to turn the dials, balance the voodoo science that extracts the uranium.. “girls” who proved more competent at the task than the male PhD’s who always wanted to know why.
But like all Lynn Ames’ excellent stories there is a romance, illicit in many senses; 2 women goes without saying, but compounded by boss/worker and the explicit need for secrecy in terms of sexuality, relationship and war effort, doubled for Nora who knows what they are doing and the likely impact of their work. The romance is sweet and poignant, set in monumental times, which, literally, changed the world.
The history is compelling, given what we now know of the devastation caused to so many millions, and while we can recognize the Allies desperation to end the war with Japan, we will always question the annihilation of a whole city of souls, and then another, to make the point. The emotional impact of that later understanding on the people who made those bombs cannot be imagined, and the girls who worked the dials were purposefully kept in the dark, adding to the shock of discovering what they had been doing.
Overall an impactful book, made human, as always, by Lynn Ames’ excellent writing, her attention to detail and her emotive and sympathetic characters. But for me personally the real impact is that of a bunch of high school graduate level women, with no scientific training, being the instruments – and they were literally the tools – of the war machine that was determined to win the nuclear race and use that victory to end the war.
August 21, 2025
3,25/5
Bruh,they only meet at like 50% of the book.And they relationship was happening so fast ,like I really don't belive they're soulmates, or made to be ,they're probably gonna break up sooner or later.
Also Mary's character was literally so much better when she didn't know Nora,she was so annoying since they started developing feelings
Bruh,they only meet at like 50% of the book.And they relationship was happening so fast ,like I really don't belive they're soulmates, or made to be ,they're probably gonna break up sooner or later.
Also Mary's character was literally so much better when she didn't know Nora,she was so annoying since they started developing feelings
August 16, 2021
I'm a fan of novels about women and their contributions to WWII, a subject ignored for far too many years. SECRETS WELL KEPT by Lynn Ames explores yet another aspect of women working for peace during that major war. This one involves the development of the atomic bomb, done secretly at various centers in the USA. In this story, at what later became Oak Ridge, Tennessee, several young women are recruited to work secretly at a site that is enriching uranium. One of them is Mary Trask, eighteen, and wanting more from life than getting married to a man she doesn't love. Among her supervisors is Nora Lindstrom, Ph.D., one of the first women physicists in the world. Nora and Mary are surprised to find themselves drawn to each other. How in a stressful world of secrecy--and a homophobic world as well--can these two women do their very important jobs and yet figure out what they mean to each other and whether they can have a future together? I couldn't put this one down!
August 31, 2019
I enjoyed this novel. It's a lesbian romance set in Oak Ridge, Tenn., during World War II. Nora, who has just graduated from Columbia University with a degree in physics, has been recruited to work on a secret project in a secret location that turns out to be Oak Ridge. She is to supervise women who will work on gears to a machine that enriches uranium, but they will have no idea what they are doing. Nora does guess that the work is going toward building a bomb.
Mary, a high school graduate, is one of the women who works for her. They fall in love. The most interesting part is the setting. The atmosphere of secrecy at Oak Ridge is described very well. The book ends before the protagonists discover how destructive the atomic bomb is. That will be in the sequel.
Mary, a high school graduate, is one of the women who works for her. They fall in love. The most interesting part is the setting. The atmosphere of secrecy at Oak Ridge is described very well. The book ends before the protagonists discover how destructive the atomic bomb is. That will be in the sequel.
November 15, 2019
I absolutely devoured this book. Home sick and read it between lunch and dinner. It was engrossing.
Two women from very different backgrounds find themselves taking a chance and joining the war effort in the completely secret world of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They are involved in the uranium enrichment needed to create the atomic bombs.
Just really, really good.
Two women from very different backgrounds find themselves taking a chance and joining the war effort in the completely secret world of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They are involved in the uranium enrichment needed to create the atomic bombs.
Just really, really good.
November 20, 2021
I listened to both audiobooks Secrets Well Kept and Chain Reactions by Lynn Ames. I did Chain Reactions first and should have been Secrets first but I didn’t find that bad.
The books brought back memories of being a 18 year old lesbian in 1970 in Phoenix Az, the backdoor out of The Habit bar for police raids, possibly being fired from your job or kicked out of your apartment. I remember Looking for older Lesbians, over 40, they were only at private parties. One set of friends in their 60’s, both alcoholics, one wouldn’t deny her being a lesbian and the other flat refusing to accept it-(a manager at Motorola, sure she would be fired) . Even though they had been together for 30 years.
We lived the Secret life, afraid of neighbors, friends, family. Staying away from children nieces and nephews to not be accused of anything, Never allowing to get too close, we did pay the price and now so much more acceptance. We lost our lovers to family and church pressures.
I am happy with the advancement in knowledge and acceptance that we oldsters have helped in whatever small way we each did over the past 40+ years I have participated in.
Thank you to all my wonderful Authors who are writing the books I so love!
The books brought back memories of being a 18 year old lesbian in 1970 in Phoenix Az, the backdoor out of The Habit bar for police raids, possibly being fired from your job or kicked out of your apartment. I remember Looking for older Lesbians, over 40, they were only at private parties. One set of friends in their 60’s, both alcoholics, one wouldn’t deny her being a lesbian and the other flat refusing to accept it-(a manager at Motorola, sure she would be fired) . Even though they had been together for 30 years.
We lived the Secret life, afraid of neighbors, friends, family. Staying away from children nieces and nephews to not be accused of anything, Never allowing to get too close, we did pay the price and now so much more acceptance. We lost our lovers to family and church pressures.
I am happy with the advancement in knowledge and acceptance that we oldsters have helped in whatever small way we each did over the past 40+ years I have participated in.
Thank you to all my wonderful Authors who are writing the books I so love!
February 27, 2023
A historical novel set in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II.
Dr. Nora Lindstorm is chosen to work on a secret project for the government. Mary Trask fresh out of High School, chooses to take a job away from home. Nora and Mary end up working together and falling in love with each other.
On the historical side, the novel is really interesting. As a reader, you learn a lot about the work woman did in Oak ridge extracting uranium for the first atomic bomb. The secrecy about the work these woman did is well-kept. From the first encounter between Nora and Mary, there was an attraction between the two. However, for me, the relationship developed too fast. I would have liked a little more story before the declaration of love.
This was the first novel I ever read by Lynn Ames, and would like to read more of her.
Dr. Nora Lindstorm is chosen to work on a secret project for the government. Mary Trask fresh out of High School, chooses to take a job away from home. Nora and Mary end up working together and falling in love with each other.
On the historical side, the novel is really interesting. As a reader, you learn a lot about the work woman did in Oak ridge extracting uranium for the first atomic bomb. The secrecy about the work these woman did is well-kept. From the first encounter between Nora and Mary, there was an attraction between the two. However, for me, the relationship developed too fast. I would have liked a little more story before the declaration of love.
This was the first novel I ever read by Lynn Ames, and would like to read more of her.
March 7, 2024
It's a book by Lynn Ames. What else is there to say?
I love the way Lynn cares about every detail in this historical love story.
It's WWII and we're developing something that will end the war once and for all.
Lynn builds a world that will suck you right in and make you forget you're living in modern times. The setting is glorious; the characters are full and rich, and the pace is lovely.
If I had one gripe, I would have liked the characters to meet a little bit sooner. That said, the character development needed to happen exactly as Lynn wrote it. I was just impatient for them to meet.
Lynn never disappoints. If you're interested in learning a slice of US history from a queer lense, get this book.
I love the way Lynn cares about every detail in this historical love story.
It's WWII and we're developing something that will end the war once and for all.
Lynn builds a world that will suck you right in and make you forget you're living in modern times. The setting is glorious; the characters are full and rich, and the pace is lovely.
If I had one gripe, I would have liked the characters to meet a little bit sooner. That said, the character development needed to happen exactly as Lynn wrote it. I was just impatient for them to meet.
Lynn never disappoints. If you're interested in learning a slice of US history from a queer lense, get this book.
January 25, 2021
I wasn’t sure if to give this book 3 or 4 stars but after finding out this was a prequel to Chain Reactions and knowing what happened in that book without spoiling too much, I remembered that I really didn’t like Mary.
I enjoyed the book but it took a little too long for the main characters to meet and then it was too insta-love for me. Plus Mary was kinda childish (I know, she was just 18...). I love reading about lesbians in the 40s but I probably won’t be reading the second book.
I enjoyed the book but it took a little too long for the main characters to meet and then it was too insta-love for me. Plus Mary was kinda childish (I know, she was just 18...). I love reading about lesbians in the 40s but I probably won’t be reading the second book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
My very first full book on Audible. What a complete joy! Secrets Well Kept takes place during the 40s, right before and during the war. The author's words enabled me to see this story as if I were watching a movie. Powerful message of smart and compassionate women. Life for women, and in particular, closeted lesbians at this time. Great story, great flow, highly recommend!
October 30, 2023
I love reading about past generations that paved the way for our (mostly) more tolerant and understanding society today. This is a sweet romance that shows the difficulty of just being a woman, and then being a woman who loves another woman. It was never easy for previous generations to live authentically. Thank you Lynn Ames, for a lovely story that reminds us of just that.
January 1, 2024
4.5⭐️
This book is kind of the prequel to Chain Reactions. It is the true story of women who helped the US win WWII through their work at Oak Ridge TN. And it is the fictional story of two of those women. Throughout, the author shows what life was like for women … and I hope we never revert to the mores of that time!
This book is kind of the prequel to Chain Reactions. It is the true story of women who helped the US win WWII through their work at Oak Ridge TN. And it is the fictional story of two of those women. Throughout, the author shows what life was like for women … and I hope we never revert to the mores of that time!
March 16, 2020
We listed to the Audible version this weekend and so enjoyed this beautiful love story with all the historical information. Lynn Ames is UHC a good storyteller we felt like we were there. I highly recommend this story in any media.
January 1, 2020
Another historical masterpiece by Ms Ames! Love to learn new things about our history with a great love story intertwined.
May 24, 2024
Nice even pacing. Eye opening details. All of the sapphic love I need and emotional connections that ring true. Great read for anyone interested in history, the time period, and sapphic storylines
November 20, 2019
This presquel is steller
Really enjoyed this telling of Nora and Mary"s story. The time in the camps and all the war fervor. The telling of this love story that furthers the story in Chain Reaction. Good job.
Really enjoyed this telling of Nora and Mary"s story. The time in the camps and all the war fervor. The telling of this love story that furthers the story in Chain Reaction. Good job.
July 19, 2019
This is the meticulously researched prequel to "Chain Reactions", Lynn Ames's previous award-winning historical fiction story. Secrets. Secrets about a real city, created during the 1940s and named "Oak Ridge" and what was going on there, secrets about everything that was going on there.
We're taken back in time to before Nora and Mary first met, before they worked at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to take a peek into their lives and what drove them to make the decisions they made back then when World War II was in full swing.
This book tells the sweet story of how Mary and Nora met, and their first tentative steps into each other's lives. It tells of the ways they had to be careful, not only because of the times but because of the circumstances of their employment.
There was a prevailing attitude back then that women were both meant to be at home, tending the home fires while the men were off at war, and that women weren't emotionally or mentally able to do the kinds of jobs that men usually did by virtue of the fact that they were men. This was a chance for women to do one of the most important jobs ever held by anyone during war time.
This makes me want to re-read "Chain Reactions" to better connect the two stories, and I will. It's one of the best books I've read in a very long time. You don't need me to tell you to go get the book. If you know Ames's writing, that's all you'll need to know.
Also, you don't see many authors use the word "elucidated" which is another reason Lynn Ames's books are always at the top of my want-to-read list. And I learned what a Cemesto is. Yay for learning new things!
We're taken back in time to before Nora and Mary first met, before they worked at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to take a peek into their lives and what drove them to make the decisions they made back then when World War II was in full swing.
This book tells the sweet story of how Mary and Nora met, and their first tentative steps into each other's lives. It tells of the ways they had to be careful, not only because of the times but because of the circumstances of their employment.
There was a prevailing attitude back then that women were both meant to be at home, tending the home fires while the men were off at war, and that women weren't emotionally or mentally able to do the kinds of jobs that men usually did by virtue of the fact that they were men. This was a chance for women to do one of the most important jobs ever held by anyone during war time.
This makes me want to re-read "Chain Reactions" to better connect the two stories, and I will. It's one of the best books I've read in a very long time. You don't need me to tell you to go get the book. If you know Ames's writing, that's all you'll need to know.
Also, you don't see many authors use the word "elucidated" which is another reason Lynn Ames's books are always at the top of my want-to-read list. And I learned what a Cemesto is. Yay for learning new things!
October 5, 2020
I have no doubt that listening to the audiobook made this immensely more engaging that it would have been reading text. There’s inflection, tone, and emotion that wouldn’t be present otherwise. Other authors can supplement this with better writing but from my experience with Chain Reactions, Lynn Ames tends to focus on dialogue rather than elaborating on a scene or fleshing out details.
Story-wise, this novel had so much potential. Nora’s work is incredibly interesting and should have been elaborated on in more scenes. I didn’t like how Nora and Mary progressed that fast into a relationship together. Sure, they had been longing for each other for a while, but prior to their one date, they were only strangers. There was so much build-up with the setting of the story that their actual relationship was rushed over. This book should have been longer and given them more scenes to develop their relationship.
One of the things that I’m thankful for is where the book ends. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this very much if their fallout and breakup was part of the book. I liked this book, and wished it gave me more than it did.
Story-wise, this novel had so much potential. Nora’s work is incredibly interesting and should have been elaborated on in more scenes. I didn’t like how Nora and Mary progressed that fast into a relationship together. Sure, they had been longing for each other for a while, but prior to their one date, they were only strangers. There was so much build-up with the setting of the story that their actual relationship was rushed over. This book should have been longer and given them more scenes to develop their relationship.
One of the things that I’m thankful for is where the book ends. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this very much if their fallout and breakup was part of the book. I liked this book, and wished it gave me more than it did.
August 30, 2019
This prequel to "Chain Reactions" absolutely did NOT disappoint! How wonderful to travel back in time to be able to experience Nora and Mary's romance 'first hand', after being provided little tidbits of reference to it in "Chain Reactions". Fascinating to read about life in Oakridge during the war, particularly, of course, the life of the women. Once again Lynn Ames has created interesting and engaging characters, both the primary two, but also the secondary and other background characters. I believed they existing and would have behaved exactly the way that they were portrayed. Having this novel as a follow-up to a book that actually takes place at a later time, I think, made this book all the more enjoyable. To know how things are going to turn out for everyone involved kept me extra interested in the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the brilliant unsung female heroes of our past.
November 19, 2019
This book is decent if you just focus on the historical fiction portion of it. As for the romance, I couldn't connect at all. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I guess it was love at first sight but even after that it still felt like nothing real developed between them. I kept waiting and waiting for something and it just never came. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator's voice was rather annoying. Not sure if I would have connected better to the book if I would have read it myself.
November 10, 2020
If I could, I would give "Secrets Well Kept" a million stars. There are a couple of books I re-read at least once a year. This book will become another one. Mary and Nora's love story takes place behind the backdrop of the very real enriching of Uranium for the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. I realized women were an essential part of the war effort. I did not realize they also were an intricate part of the development of the atomic bomb. Ms. Ames has written a book that deserves allocates. In my opinion, it should be on every top ten bestseller list.
July 27, 2019
I was so sad knowing their end from the other book. Well it was expected they were so young.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews