Atmosphere

There are two novelists for which I have purchased every book published and will buy any new novel offered, sight unseen. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of those authors. The first story I ever read by Ms. Reid encapsulates why she has found a permanent and prominent place on my bookshelf. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo added two things to the enjoyment of my reading experience. First, it displayed a tenacity for taking on social topics that others might skirt in the name of not rocking the metaphorical boat. And second, it surprised me. Emotions bubbled to the surface at the most unexpected times while consuming it, reminding me just how much reading and life are parallel adventures that intersect in ways where the former helps us to navigate the latter.

This novel provided both of these signature characteristics in spades. We are warned not to judge a book by its cover, but I suppose there are some things we never learn. Or else it’s an unavoidable part of human nature. I will not divulge any elements of the plot that might serve as a spoiler, but it’s fair to say that I expected a completely different tone from this story based upon the front jacket image alongside the subject material. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and in a rare way, I couldn’t have been happier with my poor judgment.

Each of the characters were developed in a manner that I envy as an author myself. Unique, complementary, and complete. I’m inspired and aspire to do the same. Joan, Vanessa, Frances, and Barbara were all characters I loved (or maybe loathed), but no matter how I felt about them, there was a deep understanding for their actions based upon their life experiences. And therein lies the ability for a well-told story to help a reader navigate daily life.

The technical acumen presented in this story, while I can’t vouch for completely, felt authentic given my close ties to the space shuttle program from both a familial and geographical perspective. And the manner in which a book written in the 21st century but taking place in the 1980s can make you feel as though you’ve been transported back in time is admirable.

Atmosphere is a fitting title for this latest novel my Ms. Reid, because it cultivates one that leaves you in two places at once: feet firmly planted on the ground, and that effortless sense of floating in space. That’s how life is. It’s not what happens as a result of our actions or fate or whatever else occurs in our daily lives. It’s how we respond to each of those occurrences that matters most.

And while this book explores so many avenues of daily life between its covers, it’s the totality of the experience and what it means to live a fulfilling life that leaves this reader inspired and immersed in an atmosphere of hope and anticipation for the opportunity to do the next right thing that launches the human race forward into the beautiful unknown.

Dave’s Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

---

Would you like to connect with Dave and learn more about his daily thoughts and life as an author? Join his community and be the first to share a sip of caffeine for the soul each month!