Is the story of a handful of remarkable black women who helped move American aerospace technology forward. But their stories aren’t isolated achievements and author Margot Lee Shetterly places us in a larger historical context and intertwines these stories to show how America began to define itself as well.

World War 2 opened the doors to women fulfilling new roles made available as the men went off to war. Dorothy Vaughan is there to help build better planes to fight the war overseas. When Russia put a man in space the Cold War threat opened the doors to countless black women like Katherine Johnson who still needed to navigate the indignities of colored washrooms and separate cafeteria tables.

It was eye-opening not only in the sense of shining a light on a long overlooked cadre of women working at NACA which would eventually become NASA, but also the parallel track of black education in the face of segregation. Of black universities, scholarships funded not only by black sororities but government institutions looking to “benevolently” enforce segregation, and the achievements of these women who faced off against the patriarchy and racism, worked inhuman hours, all while raising successful children. Can’t wait to see the movie that came out of nowhere to beat Rogue One opening weekend.