#53 [2025/CBR17] Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I've already read a couple of books by Taylor Jenkins Reid and generally liked them, but I think Atmosphere (2025) is my favorite (so far). I first saw Atmosphere on NPR's Favorite books, and then my book club started talking about it too, which is why I picked it up.

Atmosphere takes place in the early 1980's at the NASA space shuttle program. We follow the women who are in NASA's second class of astronauts to ever allow women. Joan Goodwin is an Astronomer unhappily teaching introductory classes to spoiled Freshman when she hears that NASA has opened up applications for women. After not making it her first try, she tries again the next year and is accepted. 

The book jumps back and forth between 1981--following Joan when she first comes to NASA and her ensuing training, and 1984--when Joan is in the control room for a space shuttle mission. Both story lines are compelling. 

***SPOILERS***Atmosphere contains themes of women in male-dominated spaces, the excitement of space flight, and family, but it is more than anything a love story. Joan meets a fellow woman in her class, Vanessa Ford. Joan admires Vanessa, and the two become friends. There is romantic tension there from the beginning but Joan is pretty shut down sexually, not understanding why people make such a big deal of kissing and sex. She hasn't even considered that she might not have been with the right person.

The blossoming of the relationship between Joan and Vanessa is very sweet and feels real, but it comes with its own problems. NASA did not allow gay and lesbian people in its astronaut corps. They had to keep their relationship secret, and both felt their job threatened by suspicions of their love.

Back in 1984, the shuttle is up in space and something goes drastically wrong. Joan is the astronaut in the control room in charge of communicating with the astronauts on the shuttle. Most of the astronauts on the shuttle were in her class, and she is good friends with them. The tension is high. But as I read the book, I began to understand the depth of the relationship between Joan and Vanessa. And Vanessa is on that shuttle, too.

Joan is talking to the love of her life for what she thinks might be the last time. Hundreds of people are listening, and she can't let the true nature of their relationship show. I have to tell you that I was really crying for a good chunk of the end of the book. I had become attached to the characters and the story, and the circumstances were heartbreaking. ***END SPOILERS***

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the main characters, their relationships, the excitement of a trip on a space shuttle, and the details of their training. It almost felt like this book was written for me. Strongly recommended.

P.S. Joan was a lover of the stars, even saying she was lucky to go to Joshua Tree National Park as a child to see them. I happened to be in Joshua Tree while I was reading this book. I tried to appreciate the stars like Joan did, and they did look cool. However, I am too ignorant, and I don't know what I'm looking at. I tend to lose interest quickly.