The Calculating Stars

 The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal  431 pages

Summary from Goodreads: On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.

Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too.

Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

And here's what I thought: I picked up this book for a book group read and really enjoyed it. The premise is interesting and believable, and I liked that the story focused on a woman who is really good at math. Which may sound odd --- but really, it's kind of nice to have a focus on intelligence, rather than what she looks like. Or how bad-ass she is.  Because she is bad-ass --- but it's because she's really smart.

Kowal includes plenty of realistic details, so you could imagine this story really happening.  This is alternate history, but it's so well done that it could be a nonfiction memoir. Definitely looking forward to reading more in this series!