Charyl Link reviewed The Astronaut Wives by Lily Koppel at Mondays Unity Club meeting, hosted by Ellie Walburn.
While most of Americas focus was on the first seven astronauts picked for the Mercury program at the start of the Space Race, the astronauts wives became regarded as heroes, too. They were the ones who supported their husbands and cared for their families, Walburn noted.
Overnight, they became Americas royalty.
The seven wives created the Astronaut Wives Club to provide support for each other. Friendship developed into powerful support networks. The author details how these women dealt with the press, daily life, jealousy, rumors, threats and death.
As the space program expanded, so did the Astronaut Wives Club. In 1991, the wives began gathering for reunions.
Fourteen Unity Club members attended the meeting.
Joann Maxwell will host the Nov. 11 meeting. Glenda Helton and Norma Stahl will provide the program.
