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A review by cherryvillegirl
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This book blew my mind!
I tried to read it last year, but the state of the world flipped upside down and I fell into a reading slump. Unfortunately, this book was a victim to that slump and was placed back on my TBR for another year as I wasn't in the headspace to read a non-fiction.
However, I was sooooo glad I read it! It was such an informative read and way better than the movie (though that is also incredible). There was a much wider breadth of focus in the book vs. the movie and it was able to not only focus on getting John Glenn into space, but also set up the events that it possible, as well as continue the story all the way to the moon landing.
I learned so much, not just about the horrific racism of the time, but also of the growth in aeronautics and space technology throughout the 20th century. That was fascinating! I appreciated learning more about the motivation for getting to the moon, as I always viewed it as a big ego competition. Now that I realize what world events played into it, I understand it a lot more.
Additionally, it was so cool to see what all went into getting man into space. The calculations. The engineering. Everything. It was incredible.
Finally, I was blown away by the strength and dignity of these women. If it were me in their shoes, fighting against such hatred and barriers while also trying to get ahead in life and take care of my family, I would probably have laid down and rolled over. I know I would not have faced such challenges head on like they did, with their heads held high, and didn't stoop to the level of those pitted against them. But they pressed on, kept their gaze on what they wanted and didn't cower. I'm sure it was incredibly tough and I bet there were days where they wished they could just give up, but they didn't and I applaud them for that fact.
My only complaint is that there was a lot packed into this book and I think I'll have to reread it several times to really absorb the information given. There were a lot of names, events, and terminology thrown in and it was often hard to keep everything straight. That's okay, in my book, as I'm definitely planning on reading this one over and over!
I tried to read it last year, but the state of the world flipped upside down and I fell into a reading slump. Unfortunately, this book was a victim to that slump and was placed back on my TBR for another year as I wasn't in the headspace to read a non-fiction.
However, I was sooooo glad I read it! It was such an informative read and way better than the movie (though that is also incredible). There was a much wider breadth of focus in the book vs. the movie and it was able to not only focus on getting John Glenn into space, but also set up the events that it possible, as well as continue the story all the way to the moon landing.
I learned so much, not just about the horrific racism of the time, but also of the growth in aeronautics and space technology throughout the 20th century. That was fascinating! I appreciated learning more about the motivation for getting to the moon, as I always viewed it as a big ego competition. Now that I realize what world events played into it, I understand it a lot more.
Additionally, it was so cool to see what all went into getting man into space. The calculations. The engineering. Everything. It was incredible.
Finally, I was blown away by the strength and dignity of these women. If it were me in their shoes, fighting against such hatred and barriers while also trying to get ahead in life and take care of my family, I would probably have laid down and rolled over. I know I would not have faced such challenges head on like they did, with their heads held high, and didn't stoop to the level of those pitted against them. But they pressed on, kept their gaze on what they wanted and didn't cower. I'm sure it was incredibly tough and I bet there were days where they wished they could just give up, but they didn't and I applaud them for that fact.
My only complaint is that there was a lot packed into this book and I think I'll have to reread it several times to really absorb the information given. There were a lot of names, events, and terminology thrown in and it was often hard to keep everything straight. That's okay, in my book, as I'm definitely planning on reading this one over and over!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Antisemitism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Mental illness