Editorial Content for The Astronaut Wives Club
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
When America entered the space race, a new era began and a new kind of American hero emerged. These fighter pilots, test pilots and military men were selected, the first seven from a field of over a hundred men, to train as astronauts. They would eventually ride powerful rockets into outer space and put their very lives on the line to prove that man could indeed conquer another formidable frontier: space. They were the best of the best --- physically, mentally and emotionally able to withstand a grueling training program. Read More
Teaser
The American astronauts have been the subject of many books and movies. For their dedication and bravery, they earned a well-deserved place in American history. As the men blasted off into space, left back on terra firma were the wives who kept the homes running and the children cared for. This is a fly-on-the wall look at the lives of those astronaut wives, who became celebrities because of their spouses.
Promo
The American astronauts have been the subject of many books and movies. For their dedication and bravery, they earned a well-deserved place in American history. As the men blasted off into space, left back on terra firma were the wives who kept the homes running and the children cared for. This is a fly-on-the wall look at the lives of those astronaut wives, who became celebrities because of their spouses.
About the Book
As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.
Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a secret. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, meeting regularly to provide support and friendship. Many became next-door neighbors and helped to raise each other's children by day, while going to glam parties at night as the country raced to land a man on the Moon.
As their celebrity rose-and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives-they continued to rally together, and the wives have now been friends for more than 50 years. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.
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June 2013
Last week at BookExpo America (BEA), I got a chance to meet some of our readers at the Speed Dating sessions that we sponsored on Friday and Saturday. One reader said “she wanted to be me” after reading the newsletters for years. A few moments later, when I was toting some big boxes of galleys, I joked, “Still want to be me?” It was amusing as the crazy behind-the-scenes action that rolls the week we are pulling together an update includes a lot of feverish writing and gathering of materials for the books we are featuring. It also means that, by Friday night, I usually decompress by…watching a movie. I am a big Netflix fan, though recently we have queued up films that end abruptly, leaving us to guess the ending, leading my husband to glance at me and say, “Again?” I think that should be included with a rating. “Ends abruptly; be prepared.”
Editorial Content for Big BrotherBookContributorsReviewer (text)Norah Piehl
Although she's been publishing books since the 1980s, Lionel Shriver has gained a recent reputation for writing smart, literary novels that address social and cultural concerns, thanks to works like her 2003 breakout, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (about school violence and maternal ambivalence, and 2010’s SO MUCH FOR THAT (about failures in the American health care system). Now, in her latest work of fiction, BIG BROTHER, Shriver explores another current crisis and how it affects one ordinary family. Read More TeaserFor Pandora, cooking is a form of love. But her husband, Fletcher, now spurns her “toxic” dishes and devotes hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me. PromoFor Pandora, cooking is a form of love. But her husband, Fletcher, now spurns her “toxic” dishes and devotes hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me. About the BookFrom the acclaimed author of the National Book Award finalist SO MUCH FOR THAT and the international bestseller WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN comes a striking new novel about siblings, marriage and obesity. When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at her local Iowa airport, she literally doesn't recognize him. In the four years since the siblings last saw each other, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? And it's not just the weight. Imposing himself on Pandora's world, Edison breaks her husband Fletcher's handcrafted furniture, makes overkill breakfasts for the family, and entices her stepson not only to forgo college but to drop out of high school. After the brother-in-law has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It's him or me. Putting her marriage and adopted family on the line, Pandora chooses her brother --- who, without her support in losing weight, will surely eat himself into an early grave. Rich with Shriver's distinctive wit and ferocious energy, BIG BROTHER is about fat --- an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much we'll sacrifice to rescue single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves.
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