Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Atmosphere is a sweeping, emotionally charged novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space-shuttle program, centering on Joan Goodwin — a brilliant astronomer turned NASA astronaut trainee — and her journey from earthbound scientist to someone confronting the vast unknown beyond our planet. At first, Joan’s path seems rooted in ambition: a chance to follow her lifelong obsession with the stars, to break barriers, and to be among the few women selected for a program historically dominated by men. But as Joan trains alongside a cast of fellow hopefuls, she discovers something more unexpected and deeply human: a passionate, covert love affair with Vanessa Ford, another astronaut in training. 

As the novel unfolds, the narrative weaves together professional aspiration, personal longing, and the harsh reality of space travel. When a shuttle mission goes catastrophically wrong, Joan — working mission control — faces a crisis that forces her to confront her deepest fears and desires. The tension between duty and love, ambition and vulnerability, becomes the heart of Atmosphere. What begins as a dream of reaching beyond Earth becomes a test of loyalty, identity, and the lengths we go in the name of love — even when the stakes are life and death.

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes Atmosphere with the emotional intensity and character depth she’s known for. She uses the extraordinary setting of space — both dangerous and awe-inspiring — as a backdrop to explore universal themes: the risk of chasing one’s dreams, the power of love in its many forms, and what it means to be brave not just in ambition, but in the choices of the heart. The result is a novel that feels simultaneously grounded and expansive, intimate and epic. Whether you care about space or not, the human story remains — raw, tender, and hauntingly real.