A Powerful Story of Determination
Hidden Figures is a historical account following the lives of four brave African American women: Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden. Beginning after World War II and transpiring up to the end of the Space Race and beyond, this narrative specifically describes the careers of these women in local Hampton, Virginia, while employed at NASA, pushing to break barriers, helping to make history, and making advancements in computational and engineering.
Although Margot Lee Shetterly has not been an author before, nor has had any background as a historian, Shetterly has had much success with this novel, inspiring a film from her work. As she grew up in Hampton, Virginia, herself and knew many of the women she wrote about personally, she felt very connected to her topic and was able to strongly write a book that shared these women's spot in American history.
This book is well written and provides insight on topics that are not commonly discussed in modern day conversation. It is a story of determination and inspiration and can be used to inspire others to learn more and to reach their worthy goals. This is a wholesome read that shows women in science and math as strong role models.