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Book Club: Atmosphere

Atmosphere

Welcome to the Book Club hub for Atmosphere.

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If You Liked...Atmosphere

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Discussion Questions

  1. What did you think of the novel's structure, as the story alternates between the present timeline where mission STS-LR9 is experiencing disaster (in 1984) and then back to the start of Joan’s journey with the space program. How did the balance between the two storylines create more tension for the story?
  2. When Joan does finally make it to space, it's not what she expected. How does she process the realization that her life's dream has changed? Have you ever achieved a dream, only to discover you want something different now?
  3. In an interview, Reid described Joan as having "kind of a delayed coming of age story." While Joan is already an adult when the novel begins, in what ways does her journey mirror more traditional coming of age narratives?
  4. How would you characterize Joan's relationship with her niece, Frances? What does Joan provide for Frances that Barbara doesn't? How does this triangle of relationships change over time?
  5. The author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, recently came out as bisexual. What did you think of the way that she portrayed Joan's journey of embracing her queerness?
  6. One of the themes of the book is having the courage to be fully yourself, to go after your own dreams and not to bend to societal pressure. In what ways is this struggle still relevant today, forty years after the novel is set?
  7. Many of Taylor Jenkins Reid's stories feature women succeeding in male-dominated fields. What obstacles does Joan face in her quest for space? How does she overcome them? How do Joan, Vanessa, Lydia, and Donna all react differently to being women in a male-dominated and sexist field?
  8. "People say opposites attract, but Joan found this to almost never be true. People just couldn't see the ways they were drawn to exactly who they feared - or hoped - they might be." Do you agree or disagree?
  9. Have you read any other books by Taylor Jenkins Reid? If so, how did "Atmosphere" compare?
  10. The full title of the novel is Atmosphere: A Love Story. What do you make of the subtitle, A Love Story?  Do you think it's only referring to Joan and Vanessa's love story, or something more?
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