Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
Their dark skin, their gender, their economic status - none of those were acceptable excuses for not giving the fullest rein to their imaginations and ambitions.
Review
This book documents the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three Black female mathematicians who broke barriers both in their work at NASA (NACA) contributing to the Space Race, but also in society as a whole, shattering racial and gender norms. This story has all the elements I like, science and space, courage, and underdogs overcoming the odds. The story describes not only the individuals, but also their backgrounds, the social context, and many anecdotes which were both entertaining and funny (Mariam Mann repeatedly stealing the "Colored Computers" sign in the cafeteria until it stopped showing up). I read an interesting article which suggests that societies have a "collective memory" which shapes what we remember and how we concoct the narrative of our world. Shetterly is performing an important role of bringing these overlooked stories into the "collective memory" of society.
While the story is incredible, I personally felt the writting fell flat. For a non-fiction book, the writing is overly flowery, like something Flaubert would write; as the great Stephen King once said, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs." The descriptions are often reptitive and focused in on mundane details which don't contribute much to the narrative. The writing also jumps along different time periods and between each of the three characters without warning, so much so, that the reader loses track of who is who (and when is who). The individuality of each of the three protagonists is blurred and their stories become blended together into a confusing mess, often obfuscating the powerful messages and history behind the characters. Despite the exciting story (especially about the dramatic racial situation of the times), I oftentimes felt bored reading the book. Some people (especially fans of fictional romance novels) may enjoy this style of writing, but personally it took away from the story of the three ladies.
My mom watched the movie when it came out and she enjoyed it so maybe I'll watch the film too.
Conclusion
An incredible story hindered by dry writing.