“Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.”
― Taylor Jenkins Reid, Atmosphere

Atmosphere: A Love Story is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s newest, fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional book about astronauts set in the early 1980s. Check out this book if you are interested in the history of the United States space program, ensemble casts, found family, strong female main characters, or edge-of-your-seat plot lines. I listened to the audiobook of Atmosphere and absolutely loved it. The audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan and Kristen DiMercurio, covers sensitive topics and had me crying for almost the full last hour. Highly recommend.

Joan Goodwin has been in love with the stars her whole life. Working as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, Joan is content with her life. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan splits her time between work and being an aunt to her niece, Francis. When NASA announces that they are taking applications for the first women scientists to join their space shuttle program, Joan knows this is what she was meant to do with her life. She has to go to space.

Eventually Joan is selected from thousands of applicants to begin her training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center. Joan’s class of astronaut candidates is exceptional, full of pilots, scientists, mission specialists, and aeronautical engineers who all have a burning desire to go in space. Their close training leads to the group becoming quick and unlikely friends. As they prepare for their first flights, Joan grows even closer to one of the other astronaut candidates which forces her to question if NASA is really all she wants out of life. Is she truly happy? What is she willing to risk to get what she wants?

This title is also available in large print, CD audiobook, and Playaway audiobook.

“Happiness is so hard to come by. I don’t understand why anyone would begrudge anyone else for managing to find some of it.”
― Taylor Jenkins Reid, Atmosphere