AN NPR* MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK FOR SUMMER
“A sweeping romantic drama with a touch of magical realism. ...Cleeton's ability to pull readers in quickly and deeply through her storytelling makes her a go-to author for an immersive reading experience. ...Vivian and Joe's love is unforgettable, and so is Cleeton's writing.”*
When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes.
When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.
Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.
As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.
A complex love story set in a time of exploration
"Book review: 3. 5/5 ⭐️ Genre: love story Themes: space, opposite attract, journalism, time travel, military wives 📖 Read if you like: Celestial Lights, Atmophere As the title indicates, this is very much a love story. Joe is a former fighter pilot turned astronaut and the love of his life is former journalist turned astro-wife Vivian. Told between the past and present, the story bounces between Joe missing in space and the whirlwind romance that brought them together. While I wished there was more actual space in this book, the commentary on how the media altered the space movement and how NASA treated the family of astronauts was refreshing. It was critical, and yet hopeful about the industry. The novel did not sugar coat the dangers and cost of the space race, but it did create wonderment around space exploration. The idea that the mission must come first and that the organisation would throw anyone under the bus to maintain positive outlooks for future journeys was savage, but undeniably realistic. This was a very unusual and high risk field that demanded everything from its scientists and astronauts with the families forced to suffer the fallout. While the narrative expunged NASA’s lack of diversity and Life Magazine’s picture perfect family while philandering was politely overlooked and unhappiness in wives was inconsequential, the role of women was central to the story. It was probably an accurate representation for the time, but to have two clever, independent women playing this role really irked me. I found it hard to believe Vivian would have forgone her hard won career to follow around a husband and his ambition. She chose him above all else, and she came second to him against the space program. Sure some people choose this path because that it is what could truly bring them joy, but loving someone at the cost everything else in your life rarely has this effect. Half the novel surrounded the scars left from her own childhood and how fulfilling she found working in television news, so the leap to being a supporting actor in her own life didn’t feel true to the character. It was disjointed between the first half which started off interesting and the second half, which frankly I found repetitive and boring. It also made me despise Joe a little by the end. Charm and sweet words can only go so far in the face of actions. There was a lot in this book that caused warring emotions within me, though it is undeniable that Cleeton writes with an immersive style that is easy to read and fall into. This love story was complicated with an otherworldly connection that defies the known world and yet remained grounded in its beginnings. Their relationship was full of sweet connections and firing emotions. It was a love that battled the whispers of grief and loneliness. Overall, it was a unique time to set this story. The complexities of the political climate, the rational behind the space race and the overall cost of ambition made for an interesting landscape. I may have been searching for a more feminist take or STEM within the descriptions (the wormhole time travel was ludicrous for where in space they got lost in), but there was a hopeless love story there that defied logic. Thank you Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC."
