Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

 Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly-346 pages

This is the previously untold story of the women, specifically African-American women, who were computers for NACA (later NASA) at Langley in Hampton, Virginia. Dorothy Vaughan was one of the first to be offered and accept a position as a computer. Later, Mary Jackson and Katherine Goble (later Johnson) accepted a computer position at Langley. The women were part of West Computing which was the wing for the African-American women. They had to endure segregation and racism, especially in the early years of their employment. Mary Jackson would later become an engineer at Langley, leaving computing behind. All 3 of these women and many others would help send John Glenn into space in 1962. Katherine Goble Johnson also had a big hand in sending Apollo 11 to the moon and some of her calculations helped John Lovell and the other astronauts of Apollo 13 return home safely. This book is the inspiration for the 2017 film of the same name. I enjoyed reading this book, although it does lack a bit in the narrative department and gets bogged down in details occasionally. The epilogue is the best chapter, as far as narrative. It's almost as if she wrote it for those familiar with many of the people and the organizations and mathematics involved in these stories. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars because of the importance of its story. It is an important history of many important, previously unseen contributions by African-American women at a time when segregation was the norm. This book does reinforce and extend my previous knowledge and studies of the Jim Crow era. The fact that African-Americans (and women) were not afforded the same rights and luxuries as their white (male, especially) counterparts time and time again until quite recently in the big picture is appalling. The fact that hotels and restaurants could and did deny service to someone based solely on their skin color is abhorrent. Separate but equal was never equal. It was really separate and unequal. The 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision set a horrible precedent for the following several decades of segregation. The women in this story overcame that segregation and constant reminders of its existence to make important contributions to United States history. 

Hidden Figures (Young Reader's Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures (Young Reader's Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly, 231 pages

I love that the author wrote a young reader's edition of this book.  Hidden Figures is the true story of four incredible African American women who worked for NASA and helped launch our country into space.  Hidden Figures takes a look at the lives and careers of  Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christie Darden.  These women were called computers because of their awesome abilities to calculate math and engineer problems that the men could not solve without their help.  It is incredible what these woman had to endure during the 1950s and 1960s in the American workplace where not only was it a challenge to be a woman in a man's field but to also be struggling with regards to what was going on with the civil rights movement at the time.  Despite what these women experienced in their lives, they continued to persevere and achieve great success.  This book should be inspirational to all young women.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
368 pages

"Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future."  --book jacket

First off, the subject is fascinating.  These ladies were incredibly smart and strong.  They thoroughly enjoyed their work as mathematical computers, and were exceptionally competent.   If that wasn't enough, they were extraordinary at living and working in a segregated climate.  They seemed to know when to stand up for their rights and when to wait for an opportune moment.

In parts the book is interesting and engaging, but in other parts it reads like a research paper.  The author skips from person to person rather abruptly so at times it was hard to follow.  With so much chatter about the movie, it could be that my expectations were too high.  It is still a story worth telling and a book worth reading.  Now I'll check out the movie!