I loved this book from the start, and as a space enthusiast I enjoyed the alternate history it depicts, in which the space program starts earlier, and ultimately goes further than it did in our timeline. Our main character,the titular Lady Astronaut, is just a little bit too perfect. She's not just a teen genius and a WW2 pilot, she also must overcome 1950s misogyny to be allowed to go into space, and she's woke enough to fight the right of her non-white friends to do the same. All while having a perfect marriage to an equally perfect husband, and fighting anxiety and social stigma about antidepressants. I still cheered for her, but her inevitable success is nothing but predictable.

The next book is going to Mars, and I'm looking forward to it.