A Taylor Jenkins Reid novel is anything but predictable. Daisy Jones and the Six follows a rock band, Carrie Soto is Back centers around a tennis star, Malibu Rising is a complicated family affair, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an expose-like tale of a Hollywood movie star. Regardless of the underlying theme, every novel Jenkins Reid has written inevitably becomes a bestseller. At the end of October, Reid came out of her two-year hiatus to announce her newest novel, Atmosphere, which will transport her readers to space as two NASA astronauts develop an unexpected romance in the same space shuttle program.
Set against the backdrop of the 1980s, the main character Joan Goodwin is a professor of physics and astronomy. After she catches a glimpse an advertisement for NASA’s space shuttle program seeking to send people to space, Joan becomes one of the first women to join NASA’s most competitive and sought-after team of scientists.
The fellow specialists on her team include warmhearted and easy-going pilots Hank Redmond and John Griffin; mission specialist Lydia Danes whose hard work has built a tough exterior; the kind yet mysterious Donna Fitzgerald; and finally, the brilliant aeronautical engineer, Vanessa Ford. The team creates an unexpectedly close friendship and prepares for their flight. When one launch sends her love interest to space (whose identity Reid keeps hush-hush), a problem with the rocket sends Joan into panic. Not only does she play one of the most important roles in a global crisis, but she also has to wrestle with the idea of losing the person she loves most. In short, everything in her universe is no longer as stable as it once seemed.
Reid shared that this novel, in particular, required a lot of research. The 80s were shaped by the first space shuttle and the shock of the Challenger explosion. Reid had to learn everything about NASA’s space shuttle program and the astronauts themselves — how they think, what motivates them, and the specific details that go into a day in their lives. As resources, she read The New Guys, a behind-the-scenes expose of NASA’s 1978 astronaut class, and The Six, which is a never-told-before story of NASA’s first female astronauts. Her creative process was also impacted by the help and insight of Paul Dye, who was the longest-serving Flight Director in NASA’s history, and Jeffrey Kluger, the author of Apollo 13.
Reid explained to Vogue the intention behind the book’s title, Atmosphere. “The atmosphere is what makes it so that the earth is suitable for human life,” she said. “So the atmosphere is life. That’s what keeps humans alive here on Earth and thus is the meaning of life.”
The backbone of Reid’s novels is always a strong female lead. Her characters have an undeniable skill or talent, yet always offer a side of vulnerability that makes these women feel authentic. What we know about this novel so far depicts this balance perfectly. With a rigorous research process and a deep understanding of people, her stories feel as close to real as fiction can get. As we leave Reid’s usual Southern California backdrop, Atmosphere will challenge what we know about space and the people that journey beyond.
Atmosphere will be released on June 3, 2025. Copies are also available for pre-order now.
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