KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — If you’ve ever wanted to unlock the mysteries of a secret, take an adventure this fall through the eyes of Josie. A spunky, brave, and hopeful young girl who discovers what would become of her small rural hometown. This self-guided tour is based on the book “Josie’s Hope: A Secret City Revealed.”

Author Katatra Vasquez is an Oak Ridge resident and local history enthusiast. Through her latest adventure, listeners can explore spaces that connect the stories of a thriving Appalachian town to what would become the World War II Manhattan Project secret city now known as Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

“Josie’s family, and many other families along with her, were displaced in the name of the Manhattan Project with very mixed emotions. Unfortunately, often overshadowed are the stories of those that came before. The Josie’s Hope tour and book connect the equally compelling stories of sacrifice and hope in our collective American history,” says Vasquez, author of both the book and tour. 

In the book and tour, Vasquez allows Josie to “lead” families, saying they should grab their hiking shoes and put on their thinking caps because each tour stop features an interactive activity exploring Oak Ridge.

To experience the Josie’s Hope tour right now, download the free Built Story app, available for iOS and Android. Then search Josie’s Hope: A Secret City Revealed. The tour costs $10. Once purchased, Tour Takers can start, pause, stop, and re-take the tour as many times as they’d like for 30 days.

Turn-by-turn navigation is provided to each of the tour stops, along with curated photography, riddles, fill-in-the-blank statements, and opportunities to hike along the way. 

Inviting both travelers and locals alike to encounter Oak Ridge from a different perspective, this self-guided tour is not to be missed.

Vasquez is also the author of the cultural travel activity Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STE[A]M) guide titled, Atomic Hope: Our Words and Our Spaces Oak Ridge, TN. Her books are meant to serve as heritage tourism Oak Ridge, travel guides, and are written for all people, but especially for school-aged children.