4.01 AVERAGE


Wow! Just wow! Great characters, believable, beautifully written etc. Etc. (I will write a fuller review but WOW!!)

OK, what to say. It is effectively a novel of the race to the moon and the involvement of women and non-WASP people in that. It starts from a disaster not long after world war II and changes some other things so that what happens after the disaster differs from our history. The lead character is a courageous Jewish female pilot and maths genius who is very real, fallible, and very believable. The supporting characters are, for me, well-drawn, and while one is a little too cliched, I have met people who would probably behave the same as he does. The cultural imperatives, Jim Crow attitudes, religious strictures of the early 1950s and the implications of those provide much of the context and richness of the book.
The writing is flowing, and I never felt I was being talked down to when information was being imparted. All in all, I enjoyed it greatly, and I have already purchased the next book!

In the 1950s, a meteorite lands in the Atlantic off the American coast, destroying DC, devastating the United States, and starting off an extinction event.

Elma York, a former WASP pilot and mathematician, shocked that no female pilots were chosen for the astronaut program, begins a campaign to convince America that women should go to Mars to establish the colony.

Elma is a white woman of privilege who takes up the mantle of equality. Along the way she encounters black women who face the same and more discrimination as she does and her views are changed to include them. While the novel begins with the issues of second wave feminism, Elma's struggles and the women who come to her aid, quickly turn the lens to, or at least begin to make an argument for a more intersectional perspective. I would say it doesn't quite go far enough. Elma's lense changes to include black women, but she doesn't do much to include them or take their perspective. It's more like, oh there aren't any black women in this room, that's not fair.

The beginning was really good...

I didn't finish this. I read about 60% and could not get into it. The story started interesting enough but quickly got bogged downed in daily tedium of the characters. It started getting interesting again by about halfway through, but not enough to keep me motivated. I would have probably finished it if my library check out didn't expire.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I loved this but wow, I cannot read a book or see a movie about space without reaffirming how I never, ever, ever want to be an astronaut or go to space. Ever. I will just die on this planet, thanks.

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards for best science fiction novel.
When a huge meteorite hits the Earth in 1952, the Greenhouse Effect is accelerated. People will need to find a new place to live. The space program's first big goal is to visit the Moon. Elma York, a pilot and mathematician, is hired as a calculator in the preparations for the Moon mission, but she knows that she, as well as the women around her, are perfectly qualified to be astronauts.

This is an uplifting alternate history story that I highly recommend for fans of Hidden Figures. And if you like this one, it's just the first book in the Lady Astronauts trilogy, so there's more good stuff to read! – Mike M.

This was engaging, fun and the narration is excellent.
inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Just finished this book. It was totally not what I had expected. Story wise it was pretty solid, very well written en great narration. But Sci-fi? Its more a story about women and race equality in the 50s than a sci-fi story. Don't get me wrong, its a very well written book, you do really step into the life of the main character. The book focuses on all the small details, how people are feeling, the 50s, etc. No action. For me this book didn't bring what I was looking for, With Sci-Fi, I am expecting more action.
Thats why I gave it 3 stars. Its not related to the quality of the book, but my rating related to how I was entertained.
adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated