I remember the Space Shuttle program, and was excited to dive into Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Aside from knowing it involved NASA, I went in blind as I listened to the all-star narration performed by Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan and notes from Taylor Jenkins Reid.
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrator: Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan
Length: 9 hours and 52 minutes
Genres: Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.
Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.
Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.
As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.
Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.
It’s the 1980s when Joan Goodwin a Rice University professor of physics and astronomy, learns NASA is opening a space shuttle program that is also open to women. Joan is accepted along with Vanessa Ford, Lydia Danes and Donna Fitzgerald, they are teamed with two pilots, Hank Redmond and John (Griff) Griffin. As the story unfolds, we get to know this group, touch space and lose our hearts.
I loved this story from beginning to end. I laughed, cried, marveled at our accomplishments even as I remembered my history with the Challenger program as a teen. I’ve only listened to Reid’s Daisy Duke and the Six, but she has a way of pulling the reader/listener in and making you connect with the characters. I felt Joan’s excitement, their camaraderie and anguished at society’s rules and misconceptions that still plague us today.
It’s a story of achievements, of breaking down barriers, of silently dealing with harassment. At its core, it is a love story. A sweet, heartbreaking love story. It’s a story of impossible choices and of wonder. Reid made me feel it all. I could not set this down. These characters and events in the story will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend Atmosphere. You’ll fall in love with these characters, the storyline and will find the issues painfully still relevant today.
Kristen DiMercurio and Julia Whelan were perfect as the narrators of this story. From the male perspectives to the voices of Joan, Vanessa, Lydia and Donna, they nailed it. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s comments were insightful, and I recommend not skipping them.
About Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. She lives in Los Angeles.
About Julia Whelan
Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, life-long actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master. When not writing her own books, you can find her reading other people’s out loud into a microphone.
About Kristen DiMercurio
Kristen DiMercurio has been working as a voice actress since 2014. She got her start in audiodrama podcasts, voicing Dr. Sally Grissom in Ars Paradoxica, and Christine in Archive 81. Since then her voice can be heard in all corners of the industry, from national commercials to the phone tree at your doctor’s office. She is an Audie Award winning narrator with Penguin Random House, and even voices that robotic lady in your bluetooth headset. She has worked on thousands of spots and projects over the years, including video games, educational material, talking devices, and more. These days she is based out of LA, where she is proud to have produced, written, and directed her own fiction podcast: Brimstone Valley Mall. She loves working with the No Sleep Podcast and is thrilled every time a new scary story pops up in her inbox.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Audiobook Challenge
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
This is an author I definitely need to try. And this sounds like something I would also connect to when I grew up in the 80s and all the space program stuff. Great review!
Barbara Strickland
Love this author
Sophie
I agree with everything Kimberly! That book was phenomenal and the narration was perfect. I cried so much by the end!
Lorna
I really enjoyed this book as well and I listened. It was edge of your seat wasn’t it? I’m glad you loved it too!
Vicki
This sounds interesting, I can see the space launches from where I live most of the time.but I’d like to seem them closer. I need to buy another telescope because the one we used to use is very old.
Katherine
This looks interesting and I really want to read more from this author. I live in a very space focused city (all the schools are named after astronauts or space shuttles) and the industry has been a big part of my life so I’m curious to see how it stands up!
Sophia Rose
Daisy Duke! Love it.
This is one that caught my eye immediately. I’m glad its as good as I’m anticipating.
Mary Kirkland
Oh that sounds like a really good one. I can see this being a movie too.
Anne - Books of My Heart
I haven’t read this author. I tried and it didn’t work for me. Maybe this one with Julia Whelan would work. Historical fiction is tricky though. I want to know what really happened.
Kimberly
I’ve only listened to Daisy and the Six and this. Which one did you try?
Anne - Books of My Heart
Daisy and the Six. I just got lost. It could be the timing with something else happening in my life. Or just that it was a library book, not one I had to do for review. I don’t know. I thought I might try it again at some point.
Bree Dalton
I need to give this one a shot. I loved the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and then didn’t really like the 3 TJR books that I checked out after it so I have been hesitant to pick up another one of her books but I keep hearing great things about this one.
Kimberly
I haven’t tried that, but loved Daisy Jones and the Six.