Book Review: “The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts” by Loren Grush

“The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts” by Loren Grush (2025)

Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography, History

Page Length: 320 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Sally Ride may have been the first US woman in space, but did you know there were five other incredible American women who helped blaze the trail for female astronauts by her side?

When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots—a group women were also aggressively barred from—had the right stuff. But as the 1980s dawned so did new thinking, and six elite women scientists—Sally Ride, Judith Resnik, Anna Lee Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon—set out to prove they had exactly the right stuff to become the first US women astronauts.

In The Six Young Readers Edition, acclaimed journalist Loren Grush shows how these brilliant and courageous women fought to enter STEM fields they were discouraged from pursuing, endured claustrophobic—and often deeply sexist—media attention, underwent rigorous survival training, and prepared for years to take multi-million-dollar equipment into orbit.

Told with contributions from nearly all the living participants and now adapted for young readers, this book is an inspiring testament to their struggles, accomplishments, and sacrifices and how they built the tools that made the space program run. It’s a legacy that lives on to inspire young people today.

Review:

I am not too knowledgeable about NASA, but reading this book about space, astronauts, and the galaxies that surround us was very fascinating. Growing up I learned about Sally Ride, but it was great to learn about other female astronauts that were breaking boundaries for women in space. This book chronicles their journey to working for NASA, snippets of their personal lives, and what factors led them to pursuing their dreams. It is an inspiring book to get a further glimpse of these important women’s historical achievements and how they would pave the way for future generations.

This book though aimed at younger readers is chockful of information and intricate details about the profession of an astronaut. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about how these space missions come into fruition and have a greater understanding of how much training goes into their jobs. I can’t imagine how it amazing it must feel to travel to space and see all of the wonders outside of Earth’s atmosphere.

My only quip about this book is that is has a tendency to information dump at times whether it comes to the astronauts personal lives and in the space program details. There were a few moments where the technical vocabulary went over my head and a glossary would have benefitted greatly to refer back to during certain parts of the book. The narration style also seems to constantly switch from the subject’s perception from the author without warning.

I finished this book with an even greater appreciation for space exploration and it’s contributions to world. I would recommend this book for those interested in the history of women in spaceflight or the NASA shuttle program as a whole. It’s a great starting point for younger readers who want to dig deeper on the topic without being too lengthy of a book.

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.