Library Staff Recommendation
We start in 1984 with a space shuttle mission going wrong. The story then goes back seven years as we come to meet the characters involved and learn how they got to this place. The story is told from the perspective of Joan. An astrophysicist, she is largely overlooked by her peers, has little contact with her parents, a sister who is a horrible person, and a niece who means the world to her. When NASA opens applications for female astronauts, Joan leaps at the chance and changes her life.
Right from the first chapter, I knew the final chapters would make me cry. They did. Over the course of the book, I became heavily invested in all the major characters and cared about every aspect of their lives. I found Joan a fascinating figure and was highly engaged in all the changes happening in her life. She makes deep friendships, undergoes plenty of self-discovery, and discovers love in a place she never thought to look. I found the conclusion nail biting, though I would have liked an epilogue to answer a few questions I had left at the end.
5/5 Stars
Reviewed by Rebecca