Unlike our other entries, this 2025 novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid in not set in New England. But I recently read it, and wanted to mention it. It’s an emotionally resonant, high-stakes drama set against the backdrop of NASA’s space shuttle program in the early 1980s. The novel delves into the lives of the first women accepted into the astronaut corps, focusing on ambition, queer love, and the immense pressure of pioneering a new frontier. The story is structured in a dual timeline, alternating between a 1984 space crisis and the preceding years of training and personal development.
The narrative centers on Joan Goodwin, an astronomer and physics professor at Rice University who is content with her life in Houston, where she helps her sister, Barbara, raise her young niece, Frances. When NASA announces it is accepting applications for the first female scientists in the Space Shuttle Program in 1980, Joan applies. She is accepted, and moves to Clear Lake to train alongside a new, competitive, and close-knit group of candidates.
During training, Joan forms a deep, intense bond with Vanessa Ford, a magnetic and brilliant aeronautical engineer and fellow astronaut candidate. As they train for the dangerous, male-dominated field, their friendship evolves into a secret, and passionate, romance. Because of the expectations of the time period, are forced to keep their relationship hidden to protect their careers and reputations, creating a tension that runs parallel to their rigorous physical and mental preparation for space.
The story shifts between this period of training and a defining, present-day crisis: In December 1984, during mission STS-LR9, a catastrophic malfunction occurs in space, leaving most of the crew dead or unconscious, with only Vanessa conscious and able to respond. Joan, still on Earth and working as the spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control in Houston, serves as the voice on the line trying to guide her lover and friends to safety.
Throughout the novel, Joan also struggles with her duty to her family, particularly her guilt over leaving her sister, who relies on her, to pursue her astronaut dreams. This personal sacrifice is juxtaposed with the physical dangers of space.
Atmosphere is fundamentally a story about “gravity” – both the physical force of leaving Earth and the emotional bonds that pull us toward others. It is a nuanced, character-driven exploration of women breaking barriers, the sacrifices required of anyone who pursues professional greatness, and a powerful, hidden love story that flourishes under extreme pressure. The novel culminates in the resolution of the space disaster and the emotional, transformative impact it has on Joan’s life.