Atmosphere

by Taylor Jenkins Reid · 2025

Atmosphere: A Love Story, by New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid, is a sweeping historical romance set against the backdrop of NASA’s 1980s Space Shuttle program. The novel follows Joan Goodwin, a reserved professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, who answers an advertisement seeking the first women scientists for NASA. Selected for the astronaut candidate class, Joan trains alongside a diverse group of candidates—including pilot Hank Redmond, scientist John Griffin, mission specialist Lydia Danes, warm‑hearted Donna Fitzgerald, and the magnetic engineer Vanessa Ford. As the trainees forge unlikely friendships and prepare for their first missions, Joan discovers a passionate love with Vanessa, challenging her notions of identity, family, and purpose. The narrative culminates in the dramatic December 1984 STS‑LR9 mission, where a catastrophic satellite launch forces the crew into a life‑or‑death spacewalk, testing their courage and the bonds they have built. Through fast‑paced, emotionally charged storytelling, Reid explores themes of ambition, love, sacrifice, and the transformative power of reaching for the stars.