In an alternative 1961, Elma is tired of feeling like a bus driver piloting back and forth from the moon when the opportunity to be a part of the the mission to Mars comes up. Years away from her husband confined in a cramped quarters with difficult astronauts and life threatening events while dealing with sexism and racism cannot extinguish the thrill of exploration for Elma and made for a captivating read for me. Even better than the first book.