The Calculating Stars

Alternate history. What if a meteor had hit the Earth in 1952 and the space program was accelerated?
I loved that the story is told through the eyes of a woman: Elma York, ex-WASP pilot, mathematician, Phd and a computer. Yes, back in the 50's without the power of digital computers the calculation were made manually by women, called “computers”. So, men were engineers, women were computers. And also, men were astronauts. So the book has this cool feminist feel because women want to be astronauts too! Why not?

I was excited to share with Elma the fascination about science. In a sense the story could have been told today, when women in STEM are still a minority.
Elma and her husband (Nathaniel), a rocket engineer, form an amazing couple. They have their struggles and it was so nice to see this great “nerdy” relationship.
Also, I could completely relate to Elma's nerdiness and being completely out of place in public speaking situations:
Give me an unpowered landing and I was fine. Addressing a roomful of people? Thank you, but no.
This was the type of book that got me excited to research things like:
- Who were the WASPS during Second World War? I want to see pictures!
- What are the specs of T-33 and T-38 jets?
- What is a Dilbert Dunker? How does it work?
- What is the formula to calculate the amount of fuel needed to send a rocket to space?
- How was the Apollo mission to the Moon? Now I want to see a documentary.

And this book actually ends in an almost cliff hanger, ending like that on the way to the Moon? Did she made it? How did they land? I mean, I really do want to read the next one.