The Woman with Two Shadows offers a fascinating and involving look at the work that was done in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during WWII. Readers will find themselves quite involved with the history, the story and the characters.

Here we have twins who, while the same in many ways, want different things. What happens when one needs to assume the other’s identity?

Lillian strives for a prestigious math prize. The author says that she wants to go to Harvard which is a bit off, so a small criticism here. I think that, at that time, female students went to Radcliffe. Still, that should not spoil the story for readers.

Younger twin Eleanor wants to be an actress but this is not happening so she takes a job in Oak Ridge, TN, only to disappear. Ironically, Lillian who doesn’t want to act, takes on the biggest acting job imaginable when she has to pretend to be Eleanor. What has happened to Eleanor? How will Lillian manage her new life and what will she learn?

I recently read a book called The Physicists’ Daughter. It was different from this title but shares with it the work that led to the development of the bomb in WWII. Each of these novels offers a sense of history, engaging characters, twist and turns, and menace. They can be read as bookends.

Readers will be drawn into the story. Fans of historical fiction, take a look.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All opinions are my own.

Quick & Dirty
-WWII novel
-women in STEM
-psychological thriller
-Cold War ties

Synopsis
Lillian has never been the center of attention. Her twin, Eleanor, has always had the looks and the personality. That’s just fine with Lillian because she’s always been intelligent, and soon she’ll be Dr. Lillian Kauffman. But when Lillian makes a choice that threatens to end their relationship for good, Eleanor discovers her betrayal and boards the first train out of New York, heading straight for Oak Ridge, a secret Army base in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she’ll live and work to support the war effort. Weeks go by with no word from Eleanor, leaving Lillian desperate for reassurance they are ok. When a call finally comes, it’s the call Lillian dreads most.

Musings
What's an era in time that you wish you could have lived? For me, it's most definitely the 40s I could totally see myself living in a film noir! rah James’ debut novel, The Woman with Two Shadows, is exactly that! This psychological thriller had me hanging on to every word, trying to guess what happens next. The Woman with Two Shadows takes a worn-out twin plot and gives it new life. The twists and turns in this book are akin to any contemporary thriller I’ve read. James does a terrific job keeping the reader engaged, adding elements of surprise throughout the novel. The Woman with Two Shadows is a strong debut that historical fiction lovers should not miss!

A very interesting book now one sister named Lily Her twin Ellen. These twinklers are so different and everyone respect but Lily was the one who was very mastermind behind Everything. Elle N Was very popular and outgoing and she wanted to be an actress Lily was very into physics and it was very sharp with numbers. Things got really weird when Eleanor left to go to work at Oakridge On my atomic bomb project. Lily a man or a man was flirting with man and sleeping with him you'll find this out in the book gets very intense. But Eleanor goes missing Willie comes to the The rescue. Max started all like calling Lily Say her sister was missing. Max post her boyfriend and he ended up in the same place she did. So I know they got there everybody thought she was the other sister. So she went on to find out what really happened with her sister. There are some interesting points in this book about how black people were treated. There's a lot of Tristan terms in this book and I think it's really well written. The men are very evil in this World. Lily also got sprung along with Doctor Andrew. You had a lot of problems and it was quite violent at some point 2. You'll find this outbetter in the book.

A different sort of look at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the Manhattan Project. Eleanor and Lillian, though twins, are very different people. Lillian, a physics student, is focused on getting to Harvard for graduate work while Eleanor is an actress who follows Max, who Lillian has a crush on, off to Tennessee and then disappears. It is somewhat implausible that Lillian would be able to fool everyone when she shows up at Oak Ridge pretending to be Eleanor so that she can search for her but that's the underlying premise. What Lillian finds is a hotbed of lies, deceit, and, strange behavior, as well as a scientist obsessed with his research. Eleanor is not the only one who has disappeared but how and why? This moves back and forth in time in the beginning to give Eleanor and Lillian's back story, which frankly doesn't do Lillian any favors as she comes off as very immature (although, to be fair, she is in college). James has done a good job at portraying the closed environment at Oak Ridge as well as Lillian's rising sense of unease as her hunt proceeds. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.

The book is based on an interesting premise of being set in a secret military facility during WWII and having twins of whom one impersonates the other. Unfortunately, I just didn't find the story engaging nor the characters likeable.
Lillian is a physics student, who looks after her widowed mother. Eleanor is her identical twin, but who unlike Lillian is very much sociable and into theatre and drama. When Lillian gets a call from Eleanor's boyfriend Max to say she has disappeared while working at a military facility, Lillian feels obliged to head there and find out more. When she arrives she is mistaken for Eleanor and decides to play along.
I can see that others have really enjoyed this book, and I have to say it is well written and researched. For me, it was just missing something and while I cannot personally recommend it, don't let me deter anyone else who may be interested in reading it.
Thank you SoucreBooks Landmark and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.

I’m always interested in stories about twins, especially sisters. I also like mysteries. I thought The Woman with Two Shadows which is about a twin her impersonates her sister to gain access to the Oak Ridge Lab in Tennessee to discover what happens to her would be a good fit for my interests.
First, there was a lot of a math, physics, and science talk, which stands to reason since Lillian, the main voice, is a physicist student. I skim read those parts because any kind of math or physics gives me a headache.
Secondly, I quickly came to despise Lillian. She was a manipulative, self-absorbed, selfish, condescending person. She sabotaged her sister in her career and relationships. I thought she was absolutely vile and reprehensible..
In fact, I didn’t like any of the characters in the book except Betty.

3.5 stars. The premise of this story really intrigued me, and there were a lot of parts I liked. In particular, the suspense of what happened to Eleanor and what was happening in Tennesse made me invested in this storyline. However, knowing that the inspiration for this story was the Manhattan Project, I feel the author dropped the ball and missed an opportunity to really develop what was happening behind the scenes (purposely vague to avoid spoilers). Instead, she kind of glossed over it and continued on with the storyline. I would have liked a bit more of the "historical," but the author seemed to really prioritize the "fiction." I also think that a more linear storyline might have helped enhance the reading experience-- the interspersed flashbacks were a little disorienting and confusing at times.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC. Publication date: 7/26/22

Reviewed for New York Journal of Books.


"The Woman with Two Shadows" by Sarah James
July 26, 2022
Sourcebooks Landmark
10-1728249538




It is 1945 and sisters Lillian and Eleanor Kaufman live in New York City. Lillian is older than Eleanor, her identical twin by seven minutes and the two are as different as day and night. Lillian is analytical and resolved to become a physicist. In her senior year at Columbia, she is no-nonsense and determined to make it to her goal as a Harvard grad student. Eleanor is the type of gal everyone is drawn to: flamboyant, captivating, flighty, and heading for a career on the stage.

Lillian spends almost every waking hour at the college lab, working tirelessly and quickly irritated with anyone and anything inconsequential or emotional. Emotions are to be kept inside and smothered, and though she loves her baby sister, her actions and manner irritate Lillian. If only they hadn't lost their father, which turned their mother despondent and barely able to get out of bed, Lillian would have no problems planning her life.

All aflutter, Eleanor is scheduled to audition for a show. Yet when the phone call comes in for her, Lillian answers it, posing as Eleanor taking the message about a revised tryout date. Thinking of telling Eleanor later, Lillian heads off to school with half a mind on the call.

Lillian's primary concern is getting her Ph.D. at Harvard, but she wonders If Eleanor acts in a play, who will take care of their mother? She has worked too hard to give up now and refuses to let Eleanor overshadow her as she always does. Every man falls for Eleanor; everyone looks at her and wants to befriend her. Even their mother shows a preference for her over Lillian. It's just not right.

Absorbed in her schoolwork and preparation to win the Allerton Prize, a scholarship to gain acceptance to Harvard, she loses track of time, only to later remember Eleanor's schedule change. Oh well. Lillian, who does not let her mind get caught up in trivial matters, figures she'll tell her sister later. She doesn't even consider Eleanor will find out she passed herself off as Eleanor.

Members of Lillian's class are offered jobs at the Clinton Engineer Works on an Army Base in Tennessee, promising the men deferment from the draft and the ability to continue their education. Max Medelson, Lillian's classmate and Eleanor's beau, jumps at the chance. He is sure Eleanor will attain the lead to open in Chicago, but before he departs, he proposes to Eleanor. Lillian, unintentionally eavesdropping, is shocked. Eleanor does not love him.

Tension elevates when Lillian voices her dislike for Max. A gulf grows between them, simmering with anger and animosity. Lillian considers him hallow and low class, firing many arguments, widening the chasm between the women. Max leaves, and when Eleanor learns about Lillian's deceitful deeds, she signs up for employment in Tennessee and goes after Max.

Lillian brushes this off as her sister's capriciousness and decides it will blow over and she will be home soon. Time passes, and Lillian hears nothing from her, no calls or addresses to send her letters. One day, while at the school lab, a summons has Lillian racing to reception to take a phone call. Heart leaping, she hopes it is Eleanor calling. But it isn't Eleanor. It's Max! What the heck?

"'Don't hang up,' he said quickly as if reading her mind. 'It's important. Have you heard from your sister?"'

"She did not want him to have the satisfaction of knowing that he was in more regular contact with Eleanor than she was. And yet, there was something in his voice, some hitch of desperation that made Lillian fear honestly was required. 'No.'

"The rest of the office faded away. Lillian clutched the phone. 'What do you mean?'

"'She disappeared from the facility. Almost two weeks ago. No one's heard from her since then. Did she tell you where she might have gone?'"

This is more than one of Eleanor's moods—something serious has happened to her. With Max's instructions to travel and to meet him upon arrival, Lillian lies to her mother and flees, worry churning in her gut. After a long and tedious journey, Max is nowhere in sight. What seems hours later, Lillian spots an Army bus approaching. A young woman excitedly runs up, believing her to be Eleanor, and drags her to the vehicle to return to the base. Now she must pass herself off as Eleanor, for no one believes she is Lillian. No one but Max, but where is he?

Arriving at the dorm, Lillian scrabbles through Eleanor's things while her roommate Emmy prattles on. She desperately needs to find a clue as to her sister's location. There is nothing. So Lillian takes on Eleanor's identity, imitating her, hoping to discover her whereabouts. Working at Eleanor's job, she learns of rumors of an affair between Eleanor and Andrew Ennis, a renowned big-wig physicist Lillian would love as a colleague.

Again, where is Max? When she eventually encounters him, he fills her with tales of subterfuge and secret projects allegedly using people as test subjects. Lillian thinks he's crazy and will not listen to his stories. Her search is hopeless, so she hunts down Andrew to see if he and Eleanor are involved. He claims to have no idea where Eleanor is, and, unlike anything Lillian ever experienced, she becomes captivated by the physics genius, soon finding herself working for him, falling under his charms.

When someone besides Eleanor is known missing, Lillian's pulse quickens, and her rational mind points her to trust no one. Her discoveries regarding assignments she once desperately wanted to be part of being brought to light have her rethinking her whole purpose and existence. She now knows she has her work cut out for her—unearth the actual function of this facility.

Although fiction, this comprehensive and descriptive novel demonstrates factual occurrences during the 1940s. At first, Lillian is portrayed as a dedicated scholar intent on making her mark on the world. Yet, as we delve deeper into her relationship with Eleanor, we see she is opinionated, self-centered, and egotistical. Jealousy plays a key role, though her mind focuses on herself as a self-affirmed caretaker of her baby sister and mother. What she deals with throughout her experiences makes her look inward and become more retrospective. For a debut author, "The Woman with Two Shadows" provides a little bit of everything: romance, suspense, and history, along with human emotions, failings, and soul searching. Author Sarah James is someone to be watched.

This book is an intriguing historical fiction that takes place at Oak Ridge, Tennessee at at the secret government compound where research was being conducted to built a nuclear bomb in 1945. It provides an interesting look at this place, since I knew little about it. In the novel, Lillian goes there to track down her twin sister who has disappeared.

The Woman with Two Shadows has got me thinking about the creation of the nuclear bomb. Were the politics that extreme that certain people could get away with anything? Was the town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee really the way the author described it? Did people go missing? Did anyone have to answer to the conditions at Oak Ridge? If I hadn't read The Woman with Two Shadows; I don't think I would have known of the possibilities or wanted to learn more. This is my personal thank you to Sarah James for igniting the desire to know more in a world where we are only taught the highlights of history.

War with Germany has ended but work continues to create the atomic bomb. College students are being recruited to work in a secret location. Lillian, a physics student, passes on the offer, wants to further her education. When her twin sister goes missing at the secret location she has no choice but to go and try to find her.

Lillian's investigation has her discovering secrets that people want to remain secret. She discovers one person's importance trumps everything else. Coverups and conspiracies are hindering her attempts. Doubt clouds her judgement and had me questioning what I thought would be happening. I found myself thinking that I would put it down after I find out what happens next. Then it was another chapter, and then another because the plot thickened, the plot twisted and twisted again.

The author grabbed my attention. She kept me entertained. She created mind blowing situations that kept me thinking. I was invested in the story, and yet I still didn't expect the explosive ending.

Congratulations Sarah James on a fantastic debut novel. I look forward to reading more books in the future.

Please read The Woman with Two Shadows. Realize we should all continue to learn about the past.

Absolutely one of my favorite books so far this year The characters of Lillian and Eleanor and their stories were so well developed I felt like I knew them personally. Historical fiction fans will live this novel read that will be enjoyed by patrons, The historical facts, couples with action and mystery will have you throughly invested. Read in one day non stop.

Highly recommend.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the author, Sarah James, and the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for granting me an advance copy in return for my honest opinion.

The Woman with Two Shadows will slowly draw you into the mysterious disappearance of Lillian's twin sister Eleanor.

When Lillian receives that terrible phone call that Eleanor is missing she drops everything and hurries to Manhattan where Eleanor is working on a secret mysterious job.

Lillian is easily able to impersonate her twin so the hunt for Eleanor begins.

Who can Lillian trust.

The story picks up the pace , the tension mounts and that's all I can say without giving anything away.

The Woman with Two Shadows is a fantastic debut novel and I can't wait to see what Sarah James writes next.

Thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebook Landmark for a intriguing read I wont soon forget.

This is fiction, but it is based on a real place in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a highly secure, top secret, military facility during WWII. When Eleanor, who is in college, hoping to win a prestigious award that will get her into Harvard, is made aware that her twin sister, Lilly (Lillian) has disappeared, she makes arrangements for their mother's care and heads to Tennessee to find Lilly.

While Eleanor's character is highly focused on winning the Allerton prize, she is not otherwise particularly likeable. She is an introvert (takes one to know one!) and she'd much rather work alone than with anyone else, and is often rude to others in her classes. When she arrives in Tennessee, she realizes she will have to deceive everyone in order to find out what happened with her sister. This is where the plot kind of fell apart for me. An introvert wouldn't be comfortable sliding into the role of an outgoing, vivacious party girl. She wouldn't be able to successfully deceive all the necessary people, and really, was our nation's security that bad at a top secret facility that she could get away with it? Let's hope not.

The book was well researched, fast moving, but it missed the mark for me. I'm sure there are others who will enjoy it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Despite being twins, Lillian Kaufman couldn’t be more different than her sister Eleanor. Lillian, a student of physics at Columbia, spends her days at the lab working on complicated problems in hopes of winning a scholarship to continue her studies at Harvard. Lillian doesn’t put much effort in her appearance, which wouldn’t bother her, except she has a twin to remind the world of what she could look like if she tried.

Eleanor sees her futures under the bright lights of the stage. She wants to work for the famous Rogers and Hammerstein duo on their latest project Carousel, and she will do what it takes to snag a spot. Unlike her sister, she charms everyone she meets, including Max, one of Eleanor’s fellow students in the physics department at Columbia.

When the government comes to Lillian’s physics class offering spots at a top secret research project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to defer deployment, many of her colleagues go, including Max and surprisingly Eleanor follows.

When she suddenly goes missing, Lillian does the only things she can, she assumes the identity of her sister at this top secret facility to try to figure out what in the world has happened to her. In the search for Eleanor, Lillian discovers some secrets that the government certainly doesn’t want to get out to the general public, and struggles to figure out who exactly she can trust.

This book started a little slow for me, but picked up quickly when Lillian got to Tennessee to find her sister. Perhaps she is neurodivergent, but Lillian seems to me a little cold and calculating, which makes her hard to relate to and selfish. Her worry for her sister, only seemed to come when she realize her disappearance would affect her own future. The story was interesting for sure, but I struggled to like the main character, which makes it less enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and of course Sarah James for the advanced copy. The Woman with Two Shadows comes out on July 26th. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this advanced copy of The Woman with Two Shadows. I enjoyed the mystery in this book! Lillian is searching for her missing twin sister Eleanor who went to work at an army base in 1944. Lillian pretends to be her sister at the base and goes hunting for clues of Eleanor or what she may have found out to solidify her disappearance.

I really liked Lillian, she was such a smart woman in a time that didn't value that in a woman. She was fearless and does get into some trouble because of that.

Overall, 3 star read!

This is the story of twin sisters who are identical in looks but different in everything else. One is warm and friendly and aspiring to be an actress. The other is cold and prickly and aspiring to be a physicist. When one sister disappears, it is up to the other sister to discover what happened. This story is told against the backdrop of the end of World War II, primarily in Tennessee, where the building blocks of the first atomic bomb are being developed and tested. The story includes many details of life in Oak Ridge, including the secrecy, treatment of women, treatment of blacks, experimentation on unsuspecting civilians, and much more.
The characters are not entirely likeable and it is a stretch to believe that with two sisters who are so different that one could seamlessly step into the other's life. The information about Oak Ridge is interesting, and the mystery part of the story is compelling.
My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is Lillian Kaufman’s story, a woman before her time, or a woman in a man’s world, and of all things she want to be a Physicist, and go to Harvard!
Her twin Eleanor is completely different, she is an actress, and though they are look alikes, they are very different!
There is the usual drama that surrounds sisters, or twins, but beyond everything they are family, and when one is missing, well, the other moves mountains, or in this case goes to a secret place in Tennessee.
Eleanor is not the only one missing, and now we are looking for answers, and some will unsettle you.
This is a story of secrets, some people keep, others a Government keeps. Answers come and there are surprises, and hopefully answers! Yes, this becomes a page turner looking for answers!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Sourcebooks Landmark, and was not required to give a positive review.

A great debut novel.
This novel is very well written with well drawn characters. The main protagonist is Lillian and she sets out to find her missing twin sister Eleanor. It is an historical work of fiction with the added touch of romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

There was a good story here and it could have been a really excellent read. I definitely did not like Lillian at all so that made it hard for me to get into the book. I also thought we could have learned more about the compound and their work on bombs and definitely more about human experimentation!

It turned into more of a romance novel which is not really my type of genre. It also seemed like a very short, surface read without ever delving into research/details or the moral/ethical dilemma with creating weapons of mass destruction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC of this book.