Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Co-owner/Editor Tara Huck shares:

Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid became a favorite author after I first discovered her through a book club pick of her novel Daisey Jones and the Six a few years ago. I went on to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, both excellent.

Therefore, when Atmosphere was released this summer, I immediately added it to my TBR pile, and it jumped the queue of that list. Upon starting the novel, I quickly fell in love with the protagonist Joan, a female astronaut. Joan joins a dynamic cast of characters full of surprises revealing the reality the handful of women entering the space program faced in the 1980s.

The behind-the-scenes look at the rigor and commitment needed to be one of the elite individuals to travel into space fed my curiosity and had me root for Joan and her friends. The plot moves beyond a straightforward hero’s journey and includes an unexpected love story. This book explores family dynamics, circles of friendships, and, of course, the allure of becoming an astronaut. The author does not sugarcoat the dangers associated with space travel, which is demonstrated in a dicey mission.

If you enjoy historical fiction depicting stories from periods and places typically unfamiliar, give Jenkins Reid a chance. Her novels are well paced with adequate tension to hold your interest.

Fun fact—Lisa Lehmann’s novel Radio Starr, forthcoming from Fresh Water Press in November, also features a dynamic female character and is set in the 1980s.