Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space by Margo Lee Shetterly, 240 pages

The hit movie "Hidden Figures" is based on the book "Hidden Figures" and I listened to the Young Readers Edition because that is what we had available through MissouriLibraries2Go.

A little known fact is that the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics based in Langley, Virginia recruited women during WWII to work as mathematicians, known as computers.  NACA also recruited black women to be computers.

This is the true story of four of those black women, who were all brilliant mathematicians, and their journey at NACA, which became NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Ego-tripping and Other Poems for Young People by Nikki Giovanni, 37 pages

The award winning poet, Nikki Giovanni, is visiting St. Joseph in April and will be offering a public presentation on April 6th, on the MWSU campus. 

I didn't want to miss this chance to meet Ms. Giovanni but wanted to brush up on her poetry so checked out some books from the library.  This book, originally published in 1974, is still relevant today and is about growing up black.  Race, and how we treat each other, is still an unresolved issue and that makes this book of poetry timeless, for now.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, 297 pages

The book begins "Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet."  This is the story of a family with a Chinese father and Caucasian mother who were married at a time when that was illegal in some states.  Lydia dies at the age of 16 in 1977.

Lydia, the favorite of three children, drowns and the question is was it murder or suicide?  The Lee's are an unhappy family with a mother, Marilyn, who wanted to be a doctor but fell in love and got pregnant so became a stay at home wife and mother instead.  It is the story of father James, the son of Chinese immigrants who has felt discrimination his whole life.  It is the story of their three lonely children who are the only Asian children in their schools.  The parents put all of their energy, hopes and dreams into Lydia.  This is hard on all three of the Lee children.

The first 3/4 of the book were very difficult to read.  Lots of sadness, lack of communication, frustration, misunderstanding and anger.  I almost gave up on it and would have, if it wasn't a book club book.  I am so glad I didn't give up.  The last 1/4 was hopeful, powerful and healing.  This is not a book where the story is tied up prettily at the end but it ends on a note of hope and that little bit of hope is all I need to be satisfied.