Atmosphere: A Love Story
Literary Fiction
Ballantine Books
June 3, 2025
Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
352
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • From the 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.
“Thrilling . . . heartbreaking . . . uplifting . . . the fast-paced, emotionally charged story of one ambitious young woman, finding both her voice and her passion.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Women
“NASA? Space missions? The ’80s? This is a collection of all the things I love.”—Andy Weir, author of Project Hail Mary and The Martian
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 easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted 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, it all changes in an instant.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love—this time among the stars.
Atmosphere: A Love Story Among the Stars
Set against the backdrop of NASA’s early 1980s space shuttle program, Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid follows Joan Goodwin, a professor-turned-astronaut, and Vanessa Ford, an aeronautical engineer, as their unexpected romance deepens amid grueling space training and a high-stakes shuttle mission. Reid masterfully balances the tension of mission training with the emotional stakes between Joan and Vanessa, keeping readers captivated throughout.
Reid goes beyond merely hinting at longing—she portrays Joan and Vanessa actively building a partnership, making their connection feel refreshingly authentic and relatable. However, the passion in the intimate scenes is more suggestive than vivid, leaving a desire for a bit more evocative romance. Despite this, the emotional engagement of the story remains intact.
“Day in and day out, the Earth keeps spinning and revolving and sailing through the Milky Way. That is why time never stands still. And that is why, small as they were, Joan’s choices had added up to something magnificent. In the changing of seasons these past four years, Joan had found it all. Something she loved, someone she loved, the parts of her she had hidden within herself.“
Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Richly Developed Characters and Setting
Every character enriches the narrative. Side characters like Lydia, obliviously arrogant but earnest and invincible; Hank, the charismatic pilot; and Joan’s sister and niece, who bring both tension and warmth to her life, add depth and humanity to the story. These supporting figures anchor the narrative in themes of perseverance and connection.
Reid’s choice of setting is consistently compelling. The early-’80s space environment becomes a character in itself, drawing readers into the world of space exploration. This immersive backdrop enhances the emotional depth and stakes of the story.
A Story Worth Repeating
Ultimately, Atmosphere isn’t just about stars and science—it’s about people reaching for connection, love, and courage, no matter how messy or fragile. It’s a story that resonates deeply and is one readers will want to revisit time and again.
Discover Space—and Love
Darienne was 15 when her aunt gave her a copy of Princess by Jean Sasson, and she has been hooked on books ever since. Originally from Puerto Rico and now living in Maryland, she’s always looking to visit new coffee shops and bookstores. Her favorite genres include YA, spicy romcoms, and women’s fiction. Thanks to the Bees, she’s also now obsessed with romantasy series. Other loves include lavender lattes, sassy coffee mugs, sunrises, sleeping in, small-town charm, and big city lights. One day, she’ll write that book that lives in her head.
