Book Review: Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone

Description of Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dreamfrom Amazon:

"What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape — any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules."

When I first saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I used to dream one day of being an astronaut. I grew out of that dream, but I never gave up on my love of astronomy. I was really thrilled to read this book. I thought it was very accessible and well-written. I found the story fascinating and aggravating. I really like many of the women portrayed in this book, mostly because they were fighting for a dream they really wanted. However, I also found the feminism a little over the top at times. I got as riled as the next woman about this stuff, but I wished there was more information about the women and their lives, instead of about how prejudiced and awful the men around them were (and boy, were they). I guess I just need to pick up an adult book about these women, in the hope that I can learn more about them. Overall, a great book.

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Overall rating: ***