Shipyard Gals: A Novel Paperback – October 24, 2025

1944. California’s wartime shipyards are booming—and deadly.Fleeing corrupt and violent police in El Salvador, Elena, an outspoken journalist, risks arrest and deportation to work as a welder in a California shipyard so she can send money home to her family. The promise of safety is an illusion. Male coworkers sabotage women on the job, racial hostility simmers, and a single mistake can be fatal.When Elena is badly burned at work, she’s treated by Rachel, a naïve but determined nurse struggling to prove herself in the chaos of a wartime shipyard clinic. Elena also befriends Ruby Mae, a young Black woman newly arrived from Baton Rouge, who quickly learns that the Bay Area offers no escape from racism—only a different, more insidious kind.Then disaster strikes.A massive explosion at a nearby naval base—Port Chicago—kills 200 Black sailors and leaves hundreds more wounded. As the Navy rushes to bury the truth, Elena uncovers evidence that could expose injustice at the highest levels—but telling the story could cost her freedom. Rachel is haunted by the injuries she treats and the silence demanded of her. Ruby Mae faces losing her job after speaking out against harassment and discrimination.As pressure mounts, each woman must decide how much she’s willing to risk—for the truth, for justice, and for one another.Inspired by true events, this gripping WWII historical novel explores the Rosie the Riveter era through the lives of three women bound by friendship and courage, confronting sexism, racism, immigration fear, and institutional betrayal on the American home front.Praise for Shipyard Gals“Stoller skillfully fleshes out the characters as they courageously confront their own fears and insecurities. Through these young women, the author draws vivid portraits of Black, Latine, and Jewish cultures, which all face the same bigotry against ‘others.’ Precise details bring readers up close to the processes of riveting and welding, the specifics of wound treatment, and the suffocating environment of the shipyard... An informative, engaging personal drama with three strong female leads.” —Kirkus Reviews“Shipyard Gals is riveting ... So vividly described you’ll feel you’re back in 1944. Valerie Stoller has written a splendid work of historical fiction.” —Susan Isaacs, author of Shining Through and Bad, Bad Seymour Brown“Set in the wake of the Port Chicago explosion of 1944, Valerie Stoller’s Shipyard Gals follows the interconnected stories of three young women from very different backgrounds, all of whom are battling the prejudices of the times to find their purpose and voice. You will fall in love with these strong women, root for them, cry and laugh, and you will learn so much about a little-known, yet essential, piece of our complicated history. I couldn’t put it down.” —Anne Raeff, author of Only the River and Winter Kept Us Warm“... a powerful and rarely told story of women on the home front. Set in a 1944 California shipyard, the novel follows three young women—Latina, Black, and Jewish—as they challenge racism, sexism, and societal expectations. With rich historical detail and emotional depth, Stoller honors the legacy of the real Rosie the Riveter workers who shaped American history with courage and skill. Shipyard Gals is both moving and vital. Valerie Stoller has given voice to the working women whose stories still echo today.” —Julia Park Tracey, author of The Bereaved and SilenceAbout the Author Valerie Stoller grew up in New Jersey, went to college in Ohio, and kept heading west until she landed in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked as a nurse practitioner. Shipyard Gals is her first novel. She lives in Oakland with her husband and their two disobedient (yet adorable) cats. Read more