Jim Harrison is a test pilot in the air force, a dangerous job that his wife, Grace, struggles to deal with...never knowing if her husband will come home. After having trouble getting pregnant, they finally have a child. Jim tries to balance work and home life, taking a new job as an astronaut for NASA. Then tragedy strikes, threatening everything he loves.
I loved the setting of the early space race in this book that is ultimately about relationships, family, grief, acceptance, and forgiveness. I don't know much about test pilots or NASA, but the author does a good job describing both programs and their related jobs without too much boring detail so the reader understands better the dedication of the pilots and the stress on the family life of the astronaut's wives.