wonderful book. I enjoyed the history of NASA and the changes in mind set that allowed women and people of color to be accepted into the astronaut program. Each of the first six women were fleshed out and their accomplishments explored. NASA’s mistakes, at great cost, were explained. Loved this. 10 stars.

"The Six" by Loren Grush is an absolutely captivating and inspiring book that shines a spotlight on the extraordinary women who broke barriers to become the first American women astronauts. I really enjoyed how the book provided history on each woman, highlighting their academic/professional backgrounds, as well as their unique circumstances that influenced their journey. The book also shares the many instances of gender bias and discrimination, subtlety built into the aerospace/politic worlds, as well as those blatant instances of sexism and discrimination from journalists, fellow astronauts, and politicians. We owe a great deal of credit to these six elite women—Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon- for their perseverance, belief, determination, and intelligence.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where No American Woman Had Gone Before

In 1978, NASA selected 35 new astronauts. Among them were the first six women picked as astronaut candidates: Sally Ride, Judith Resnick, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.

“The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts,” by Loren Grush, tells their story. It relates the opening years of the Space Shuttle program.

Their arrival marked a new era at NASA, the end of the test pilot era and the start of a new age in spaceflight. Using the Space Shuttle access to space, NASA claimed, would become as routine as airline travel. This included women in the astronaut pool.

Grush shows all six were highly qualified. Two were physicians. Four were research scientists. All were athletic, one played sports on a semi-pro level. Two had private pilot’s licenses prior to joining NASA. All were interested in space.

Grush follows each of the six through their early lives to their selection as astronauts. She takes readers through their period as astronaut candidate, the grueling training period they experienced. She also examines the lens of publicity they were under. The press treated them as nine-day wonders.

The women expected pushback and male chauvinism from their male counterparts. Before them, NASA had been a boy’s club. (The male astronauts soon accepted them as colleagues.) What was unexpected to them was the stereotyping done by the press. This especially irritated publicity-averse individuals like Sally Ride and Judy Resnick.

Grush also follows them through their flight careers during the years 1983 through 1986, from Sally Ride’s first flight on STS-7 through Judy Resnick’s death on the Challenger disaster. It was a period when all six flew, some more than once. She examines their experiences and reactions to spaceflight. She also follows their personal and professional lives during that period. Among their firsts was the first mother in space, when Anna Fisher flew.

The book winds down after Challenger. Ride was a member of the Rodger’s Commission examining the causes of the disaster, and Grush looks at Ride’s role on the commission. Grush also touches on the careers of the five surviving women following the resumption of the Shuttle program, but only briefly.

“The Six” puts its focus on the glory years of the Shuttle program, 1978 through 1986. The book captures an era when there was only up in space. Well-written and exciting, it is a worthwhile read.

“The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts,” by Loren Grush, Scribner, 2023, 432 pages, $32.50 (hardcover), $16.99 (ebook)

This review was written by Mark Lardas, who writes at Ricochet as Seawriter. Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City, TX. His website is marklardas.com.

5 star rating! When I started reading this book I wasn't sure if I would find the writing style a bit dry and boring, however the topic interested me so I thought I would give it a try. Loren Grush did not disappoint! Each chapter focused on a different astronaut, while also carrying the arc of the storyline forward in time. I found the balance of science, history, and human interest a perfect blend of engaging non-fiction! Learning about the actual experiences of astronauts training for space missions was intriguing, and descriptions of space travel and expeditions were fascinating! The important documentation of the experiences of women entering a historically male dominated profession were also insightful and valuable to preserve. In addition to moments that made me laugh out loud, very few books have brought me to tears; however the chapter about Challenger explosion left me weeping. Grush's concluding chapters about Sally Ride's continued contributions to NASA were enlightening. Two thumbs up, I recommend this book! NOTE: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The stories of the 35 astronauts selected in 1978 were recently told in The New Guys by Meredith Bagby. Among that groundbreaking group were NASA’s first six women astronauts, whose influence changed spaceflight, and arguably society, forever. Loren Grush tells their stories in The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts. Forty years on, the struggles they overcame are still inspirational. One giant leap for everyone. #Astronauts #NASA #Spaceflight #netgalley

You know Sally Ride's name. But did you know she had five other women in her class of astronaut candidates? All six pioneered NASA's shuttle program, and one died in the Challenger explosion.

Loren Grush presents a conversational narrative giving the history of each of the women's histories from childhood, education, space flights and beyond.

I highly recommend any teen girls to read this biography to become inspired to join the stars, as well as any adults. One major step for all womenkind!

4.5
The story of the first 6 women admitted into NASA's astronaut training program and the process of interviews and tests they went through in being selected. However, at this time in our country's history, these women were not only forging a path that had never been done before, they had to face the stereotypes of women "just being housewives" and not warmly welcomed into higher education and work that had traditionally been for men only. These women showed determination, intelligence, curiosity, and sheer grit to face some overwhelming situations. I truly admire their determination and professionalism in their work.

I am always in awe of NASA and their program of selecting and training their astronauts, and sending them into space for exploration and learning more about our universe. I applaud them for intentionally seeking out women for their program.

My thanks to Net Galley and Scribner for an advanced copy of this e-book.

Really inspiring glimpse into America's first six female astronauts- not only were they trailblazers, but Lauren Grush outlines the adversity and challenges they faced in a male dominated industry. The book speaks to each of their courage and determination.

Great narrative nonfiction about the first women in the space program. As someone who loves space and was an aspiring astronaut in elementary school, I enjoyed learning about these women pioneers who broke through the glass ceiling to rise to the highest heights (literally!). What an inspiring story for girls today.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this nonfiction account of the first six female astronauts. Well-written and fast moving, it read like nonfiction. Since I wasn’t entirely familiar with the careers of these women, there was also an element of suspense about each of their missions. This was a good, necessary story well worth the time spent reading it.

I loved The Six! It's a non-fiction about the first 6 female astronauts and I was hooked from the first pages.

I loved reading each of their stories and learning more about being selected to be the first female astronauts at NASA in 1978 as well as their personal lives, especially hearing about why they all wanted to be astronauts, especially from such a young age.

Prior to this I only really knew of Sally Ride but I'm glad I learned about Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon too. I'm so impressed by these remarkable women and their experiences at NASA with the the space shuttle program.

I love history non-fiction especially about amazing women and I highly recommend if you have any interest in history or space. This read more like a fictional book and I couldn't put it down.

Like most, I know bits and pieces about NASA and the various space programs. I enjoyed reading about the women pioneers and their challenges to over come the chauvinistic atmosphere. About half way through, there was a bit of repetition with a different backstory. Editing is definitely needed.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Very informative about the lives and experiences of the first six American women astronauts. I also learned about many NASA missions and flights in a time period ranging from the 1970s to the 1980s. Full of quotes from members of the Six. Well written and well researched.

Several elements in the book's narrative resulted in a low review, however; namely one of the women astronauts dating men and women. There was also some mild language.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to view this book before its publication date.

For particular reasons I was thrilled to received an ARC from #NetGalley and #Scribner yet the opinions expressed are truly my own. Selected in 1978 Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Kathy Sullivan, Anna Fisher, Rhea Seddon and Shannon Lucid were the first females to be selected by NASA to accepted into the astronaut program. A biography of each of them is the focus and from the extensive research by Loren Grush their thoughts that brought them to the program develops and is concluded in the Epilogue. Their life experiences are fascinating. At times I was overwhelmed by the techniques and scientific material but I feel that this is a book that deserves to be on the library shelves of schools. Enthusiastic space programs and biography readers will find this worthwhile.. In 1983, we had been transferred to Australia where I had the pleasure of meeting Rhea Seddon and her astronaut husband, Hoot, who were representing President Reagan on ANZAC Day in Sydney.

The Six by Loren Grush ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the ARC. This one comes out September 12! 🎉

As far as narrative nonfiction reads, this one was pretty flawless. It used the facts in an engaging way that made it feel like a story. It was mostly linear. It felt like all the timelines got a little mixed together once the Six were at NASA, but that was to be expected as they were all there at the same time. It was respectful of the tragedy; it didn’t sensationalize it nor did it retraumatize.

I loved that the author paid attention to what made these women who they were as humans - as friends, students, mothers, wives, etc. The author captured them as people, and that made a big impact as I read through. Even though I knew they were about to be selected as astronauts, I was feeling feelings when I read about their calls from NASA. I also enjoyed how the author highlighted the outrageous questions these women faced from the press. (I recommend checking out Off With Her Head if you’re interested in learning more about how language has been used with women.)

Do yourself a favor and check out this book about trailblazing females and space exploration.

I loved this book. The author is great at giving us insight into what it was like to be one of these women, living a normal life, having a dream, going for it, waiting to see if it would happen. There are some technical parts, but at the end, especially the epilogue, I was crying. The emotion was so moving. I hope many, many people read this book.

Space terrifies me. The vastness of the universe, pushing the limits of the unknown, and the infinite possibilities of things that could go awry. Despite my fears, I decided to listen to THE SIX: The Untold Story of America’s First Astronauts and I’m so glad I did.

My prior knowledge about these women and their space missions was next to nothing. I was completely fascinated by their various backgrounds, training for space, and how their experience compared to their male counterparts. Ironically, my husband was reading ROCKET MEN at the same time which made for compelling space conversation. I promptly added that title to my TBR as well.

Even if space isn’t your thing, reading about these brainy & brave women just might be.

I thought this would be a better read than it was, to me. In 1986, I remember sitting in the floor of the school library at Stuttgart Middle School watching the Challenger lift of taking the first teacher into space. Then seconds after take-off it exploding. This book looks at the time before the Challenger disaster. It looks at the way NASA finally decided to recruit women astronauts in 1977. It focus on the Six that would ultimately become astronauts, with Judy (J.R.) beginning on that fateful Challenger flight. We all remember Sally Ride as the first American woman in Space.

This book was a very slow read. It picked up, for me, around the 1/2 way mark, but slowed back down. I think it just has so much information in it, that I got bogged down. I had brain overload. I wish Netgalley did 1/2 stars because that's what my rating would be, but since they don't, I upped it to a 4⭐ read.

Tentative Publishing Date:
September 12, 2023

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the E-ARC book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#netgalley
#scribner
#lorengrush
#thesix

A great biography on the life and times of the first six female astronauts and the trials they faced while attempting to get into space. A inspiring novel of triumph and I highly recommend this book>

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm always grateful to read a well-written historical account about something I knew nothing about! This was true with The Six, During the 60's, and '70s NASA excluded women from their space program arguing that only military test pilots—a group then made up exclusively of men—had the right stuff. This was a time in which women were steered away from STEM jobs and therefore deemed unqualified for space flight. Once this begin to change and NASA realized there was and could be more to space flight than being able to fly, they opened the application process to a broader array of hopefuls, regardless of race or gender. From a candidate pool of 8,000, six elite women were selected in 1978—Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon. These highly educated, highly motivated women courageously endured claustrophobic—and sometimes profoundly sexist—media attention, undergoing rigorous survival training, and preparing for years to take multi-million-dollar payloads into orbit. Together, the Six helped build the space program into what it is today.