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Hidden Figures

 "Once you took the first step, anything was possible." (Katherine Johnson) That is the last line of the book, Hidden Figures, and it's so true. 

I'm working through the Goodreads list of Books That Everyone Should Read At least Once. There's like 31,000 books on that list, so it's going to be a while. Luckily, I already read a good chunk of them. 

So, I came across Hidden Figures and was surprised to find out the film was based on this book. Now, this book is non-fiction, so it's not written in the storyline like the movie. This suits me just fine, it just took a few minutes to change the narrative in my head, lol. 

In case you don't know, Hidden Figures follows three brilliant mathematicians: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. These women have to overcome not only sexism but also racism (they are all black) in the 1950s and 60s as they grow in their NASA careers. Throughout their personal and professional lives, they maintain their resilience and determination.

It is very clear that the author, Margot Lee Shetterly, loves and admires these women a lot. She does a great job of helping the reader share in that love and admiration. I am so glad she brought these stories into the light. These three women's contributions are still used by pilots and NASA today. 

Having watched the movie, I was a little worried. As I do with all books that were turned into movies, I went in thinking of it as a separate story. But that wasn't necessarily needed. The story wasn't changed much when it was turned into a film, the book just adds a lot more context which makes you feel how big their accomplishments really were.

The themes of this book of overcoming adversity and breaking barriers resonate deeply with me right now, making it a powerful and uplifting read. Hidden Figures is a must-read for anyone interested in history, science, and/or the ongoing fight for equality.



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