This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Kate Appleton
The Astronaut Wives Club investigates the unique group of women who supported their husbands as they transformed into the A-List of America’s space race. Spanning the 1950’s up until the termination of the space programme in 1972 this fascinating commentary details the lives of the wives of the NASA astronauts. This group of exceptional and very different women juggled with portraying the all-American dream, with lunch at the White House. These are women everyone should know about.
Koppel is the first to make a giant leap into the world of these women and it is a truly remarkable one. Although these women didn’t physically walk on the moon it was eye-opening to read of the pressures they faced from their husbands, NASA and the media. Plucked from relative obscurity, wives of test and army pilots, these women were thrust into the limelight, every aspect of their lives documented by the media and completely hijacked by American society. These women deserve recognition for doing this with such aplomb all the while maintaining a perfect beehive and rustling up devilled eggs at the drop of a hat.
In addition, it was fascinating to have the thread of American Social History running through the book, especially Koppel’s insightful detailing of the Women’s Liberation Movement. This is effectively woven into the ‘wives’ story, in reference to, when accidents did occur and they were left widowed and the brutal reality of what they should do next hit them. It was shocking to learn that the support network was tenuous at best, and they were expected to leave the inner circle almost immediately.
The only downside I had, if you can call it that, was that Koppel is dealing with a vast group of women in her book. As a result, at times, it was difficult to remember who was married to whom and exactly what their trials and tribulations were. The chronological nature of the book is effective but it’s definitely a story that needs a flip back to the cast order every now and then.
Overall, this was an exceptionally interesting and at times shocking read about a topic that has been sidelined in recounting the history of the Space Race.
9/10
Lily Koppel's Website