Women’s History Month: A Different Kind of Supper Club

The Astronaut Wives Club, 1959. Back row, Jo Schirra and Louise Shepard; middle row, Annie Glenn, Rene Carpenter and Marjorie Slayton; bottom row, Trudy Cooper and Betty Grissom
(Life Magazine, cover photo, September 21, 1959)

The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel; 629.45 K83a
The wives of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronauts joined together to support and encourage one another through the historic flights, the national publicity campaigns, and even heartbreaking loss. In this engaging book, Lily Koppel tells about the lives of Louise Shepard, Annie Glenn, Jo Schirra, Betty Grissom, and the other wives of the astronauts. Per the publisher this is, “the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.”

Did you know that women trained to be astronauts at the same time that John Glenn and Alan Shepherd were training? Check out this blog post to learn about Wally Funk and the other women known as the Mercury 13.

7 members of the Mercury 13, pictured in 1995
(NASA, public domain)

Want even more?

They Aimed for the Stars

The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of SpaceFlight by Martha Ackmann

Ms. Ackmann tells the true story of thirteen women, pilots and dreamers, who tested and trained to be astronauts. These women weren’t allowed to go into space though, despite passing the rigorous physical and mental tests. Read this book to find out more about these remarkable women and why they didn’t become astronauts.

This book is now available in the Sullivan Lexington Library with the call #: 629.45 A182m