Paperback
English language
Published Dec. 8, 2019 by Rebellion Publishing.
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to Earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render Earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a computer. But with so many skilled and experience women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too.
Elma's drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions …
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to Earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington, DC. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render Earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a computer. But with so many skilled and experience women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too.
Elma's drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.
This description comes from the publisher.
Another series that I'm going to continue despite, you know, being a series.
This is closer to a 2.5. This is also not so much a book about going to the moon as it is a lesson on the 1950s space program. And my god is it boring. For a book that starts with the main characters surviving a meteorite, it gets mundane super-fast.
There's absolutely no reason for this book to be this long, and if it wasn't because I had read and enjoyed other books by this author before, I don't know that I would have stuck it out with this one. For whatever reason, with the last series she wrote, the first book [b:Shades of Milk and Honey|8697507|Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories, #1)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377579650s/8697507.jpg|8624218] was also boring as dirt, but the rest of the books were interesting, so I'm willing to see where this series goes. The book itself is easy to read but it …
This is closer to a 2.5. This is also not so much a book about going to the moon as it is a lesson on the 1950s space program. And my god is it boring. For a book that starts with the main characters surviving a meteorite, it gets mundane super-fast.
There's absolutely no reason for this book to be this long, and if it wasn't because I had read and enjoyed other books by this author before, I don't know that I would have stuck it out with this one. For whatever reason, with the last series she wrote, the first book [b:Shades of Milk and Honey|8697507|Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories, #1)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377579650s/8697507.jpg|8624218] was also boring as dirt, but the rest of the books were interesting, so I'm willing to see where this series goes. The book itself is easy to read but it gets bogged down in describing each and every one of the launches into space, when really half as many were necessary. Elma's nemesis' motivation is thin at best, and for as much as Elma fought to be a lady astronaut (vom at that title), because women were going to be necessary to create a new colony, not a care was given to the fact that her husband isn't an astronaut too. So what exactly is she fighting to do here? Maybe that will be the next book's plot.
I heard of this book through the incomparable and it came with glowing reviews. It pulled me in immediately with the premise, time period, and point of view character.
At first I enjoyed Elma and her perspective, the pacing of the books main conflict was spot on. I loved her relationship with her husband and how capable she was. About half way through the book though, Elma’s primary struggle with anxiety started to get old. By the end of the book I was glad to see the resolution, but I was happy to stop reading. This book was well written, but I won’t be reading the sequel.
About a third of the way into this book I was like "Wow, this narrator is amazing. She is the perfect fit! They did a really great job casting her." Then I looked at her name... and the author's name... 2+2=4.
Of course the narrator of many, many scifi books would be an excellent writer of a highly engaging scifi story. (Well, maybe not, but Mary Robinette Kowal certainly has!)
I have already downloaded the next one. What better review than that?
Loved the original short story [b: The Lady Astronaut of Mars|17377584|The Lady Astronaut of Mars|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361008184s/17377584.jpg|24168626] and with that cover I am already looking forward to this :)
I should have re-read the short story then maybe the whole premise wouldn't have taken me so unawares. So even though the climate change in the book isn't man-made this still is a book about climate change... but even more than it is about climate change the book is about representation in a somewhat meta way.
Because what I liked best about this book is how hard Elma has to fight to achieve her dreams but along the way she has to learn that she isn't only fighting for herself and that how she does it and how she presents herself are just as important as she becomes a role-model for the next generation and even her own. Even as she …
Loved the original short story [b: The Lady Astronaut of Mars|17377584|The Lady Astronaut of Mars|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361008184s/17377584.jpg|24168626] and with that cover I am already looking forward to this :)
I should have re-read the short story then maybe the whole premise wouldn't have taken me so unawares. So even though the climate change in the book isn't man-made this still is a book about climate change... but even more than it is about climate change the book is about representation in a somewhat meta way.
Because what I liked best about this book is how hard Elma has to fight to achieve her dreams but along the way she has to learn that she isn't only fighting for herself and that how she does it and how she presents herself are just as important as she becomes a role-model for the next generation and even her own. Even as she fights to accept that the book gives us a few wonderful scenes reminding us of the importance of role-models.
So while the story is barely 4* material (for me) and the message sometimes overwhelms the story, I also think the message is so important that this alone makes the book worth reading and recommending.
I wish there were more stars to give this book.
I absolutely loved this book, from it's start as a meteorite interrupts a couple's weekend away from work to the crap the female candidates are forced to endure to show they can do what the guys can to the many many innuendo involving rockets.
Mary Robinette Kowal's prose is amazing and she pulls you into a wonderful story that won't let you go until the story is finally finished. Even then, you'll still want more.
There was so much going on in this book, and it's all done so well. I'm going to bask in the afterglow for a bit and then listen to the Project in Depth Writing Excuses episode.
Can't wait to read the next book!
