Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.
Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.
As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.
Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting listeners to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love—this time among the stars. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
After seeing a lot of good reviews for Atmosphere, I decided to check it out. I have read and enjoyed a bunch of Taylor Jenkins Reid's previous novels, and even though I have no interest in space travel (the movie Space Camp was boring for me), this one grabbed me right away and didn't let go! I'm just waiting for one of my close friends to tease me about reading it. ("You read a book about astronauts?!?" is on the same level as "You watched a movie about football?!?")
The space aspects of this novel were more interesting than I expected them to be, although I wish there were pictures to go along with it. I still don't know what a payload looks like. It was also hard to envision some other parts of the spacecraft. There was definitely a high level of intensity that went along with space travel and I know it's not something I could ever see myself doing. I give kudos to everyone who is courageous enough to give it a try.
I really loved the social and emotional aspects, as well as the romance between Joan and one of the other astronauts from her group. Joan's relationship with her niece was really special and it made me so angry at her sister at the same time. The dialogue was great and kept the story flowing smoothly the entire time. It was easy to visualize people and locations outside of the NASA space station. I also loved that this novel was set in the 1980s, which was a simpler time in some ways, but not in other ways. I even got verklempt at one point.
I really wish there had been an epilogue, as I feel this story would have benefitted from it. Even if it was set further out in time from when the story started, to perhaps see Frances as an adult.
If you haven't picked this one up yet, don't miss out! You will be surprised and moved and won't be able to put it down or to stop thinking about it. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah.
(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)
TW: Death during space travel, homophobia, child neglect, vomiting mentioned a lot
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