Reviewed by Lotte:
This is a fun, intelligent book involving a national crisis which shatters lives and forces earth into speeding up its mission to colonise other planets, firstly the moon and then Mars. This book has an apocalyptic feel, set in the 1950’s.
Kowal pitches this book in a time when sexism and racism are rife, with women and those of differing ethnicity from the 1950s privileged white, had to fight to be heard and get a seat at the table. Ironically, it is actually those women that make the colonisation possible with the “Lady Astronaut” being an integral part of the whole operation. In fact, it is her calculating skills that assist most with the operation. She is a strong, independent and intelligent woman who learns of her own privilege and attempts to strive for what is right. However, along the way she realises that this isn’t always possible and that fighting for what she deserves isn’t always straight forward.
The science fiction element of this book was easy to digest, giving the reader enough to understand what was happening and to make the story work without being overloading. This was a good balance for me as I can become bored with protracted explanations of made up technology and scientific logic. This certainly isn’t a hardcore Sci-Fi novel but that worked for me.
All this is based in a fast paced, well thought out novel that captured my attention instantly. The way in which Kowal writes instantly draws you in to both the characters and storyline. I definitely want to read the sequel to this book!
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
Publisher: Solaris
Release date: 10 April 2019
Lotte's Library 