Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The inspirational and interesting characters and setting bump this biography up to 4 stars. That the women (and men mentioned) were able to transcend the persecution of the times (especially in their state of Virginia) and become instrumental in the NASA program speaks to their genius, their tenacity, and their sense of community. Shetterly expresses her intent that by shining the spotlight on the group, it would prevent outsiders from thinking any one of the group was an anomaly...that indeed there was a considerable number of black women mathematicians who went on to become engineeres, computer programmers, etc. But by following several women, the story could get a little choppy and jumbled at times. I found it useful to watch the movie, that focused on just 4 of the women, to help navigate the book. So while a bit disjointed, it is worth the read to find out about these women and be inspired by them.

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