#1 New York Times Bestseller • Good Morning America Book Club Pick

From the bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six

Comes a powerful, sweeping novel set against the thrilling backdrop of the 1980s NASA space shuttle program, exploring ambition, identity, and the limitless pursuit of love and purpose.

“Thrilling, heartbreaking, and uplifting.” —Kristin Hannah

“NASA? Space missions? The ’80s? This is a collection of all the things I love.” —Andy Weir

Meet Joan Goodwin—A Woman Destined for the Stars.

A brilliant but quiet professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, Joan Goodwin has always found solace looking skyward. When a national ad calls for the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program, Joan dares to believe she can finally reach for the stars—literally.

In the summer of 1980, Joan is selected from thousands of applicants to train at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, where she joins an unforgettable cast of trailblazing individuals:

Hank Redmond, a confident Top Gun pilot

John Griffin, a steady, warmhearted scientist

Lydia Danes, fiercely driven and unapologetically ambitious

Donna Fitzgerald, compassionate and quietly battling her own struggles

Vanessa Ford, a magnetic aeronautical engineer with unmatched skill—and secrets of her own

As the training intensifies and the prospect of spaceflight becomes real, Joan finds herself not only tested physically and mentally, but also emotionally—as new friendships, rivalries, and romantic sparks challenge everything she thought she knew about herself and her limits.

A Story of Dreams, Determination, and the Courage to Soar

Told with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s signature emotional depth and cinematic storytelling, this novel captures the passion of the early space race, the complexity of ambition, and the strength it takes to reach beyond Earth—and within—to find where you truly belong.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction, space exploration, strong female leads, and unforgettable character-driven drama.