The subconscious is a weird thing. I have been interested in reading this book for a while, seeing the Astronaut Wives in a sort of smaller scale First Lady role (and a really huge obsession of mine). What I didn’t realize when I randomly selected it from my wish list was that I was within the same week as the 45th anniversary of the first moon landing- strange how things work out like that.
The best word I can use to describe this book is nostalgic. I’ve always been fascinated by the 1950s and the 1960s- it’s been my favorite era, even before Mad Men (though that fed the obsession). It is so interesting to study the cultural shifts in those years and see how it shaped this nation- it seems so small to say it was an incredibly important time.
I can’t imagine what it would have been like to follow along with the astronauts and their wives in Life magazine throughout the 60s. Reality shows/stars have become so ubiquitous that it can be hard to imagine that there was a time when magazine features were the best ways to learn about public figures. I’m also known to be a total sucker for celebrity gossip, so I know that I would have been completely bought into this as well.
Plus, I have to love a book that has this much Jackie worship:
“Oh, Jackie. Her hair was perfect, her skin powdered, her eyes feline. So statuesque in her lavender silk dress. Her amethyst brooch glistened.”
As the book is presented in chronological order, it is also absolutely incredible to see the transformation of these women as they start to pick up on the feminist movement. They are an inspiration and a testament to those cultural shifts for women during that time period- Rene Carpenter in particular. I’d love to read a book just about her- her story is amazing and somewhat worth reading the entire book just for that.
Though there are certainly many trials that came with being an astronaut wife- the divorce rate among these couples is staggering– it did seem to be a pretty great gig for a short while:
“To be an astronaut wife meant tea with Jackie Kennedy, high-society galas, and instant celebrity. It meant smiling perfectly after a makeover by Life magazine, balancing an extravagantly lacquered rocket-style hairdo and teetering in high heels at the crux of the space age.”
To me, that’s the perfect encapsulation (see what I did there?!) of the romanticism of the 1960s juxtaposed with the harsh realities of a nation in flux. This book is absolutely worth a read- highest recommendation.
You’ll like this if: you like non fiction that reads like fiction. This is insanely accessible 20th century history about one of the most incredible decades our nation has experienced.
Happy reading!
carlyreads 