The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel is about the wives of the Mercury Seven astronauts finding their voice as they transformed from military wives to celebrities during the great American space race! I loved how they supported each other through this exciting and dangerous time.

Here’s the setup:

“As America’s Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.

Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; JFK made it clear that platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was his favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived with a secret that needed to stay hidden from NASA. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, providing one another with support and friendship, coffee and cocktails.

As their celebrity rose–and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives–they continued to rally together, and forming bonds that would withstand the test of time, and they have stayed friends for over half a century. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.”

I’ve read this book a couple of times, as my family loves space, and we’ve been to the Kennedy Space Center in Cocoa Beach, Florida (highly recommend!).

Age Recommendation:

Adult- for various innuendos and child loss.