Publishers Weekly
Playwright George Morgan (Second to Die) knew that his mother, Mary Sherman Morgan, had done important work as a rocket scientist for the U.S. during the Cold War, but it wasn’t until her funeral in 2004 that he began to understand the extent of her contributions. At the service, a man who had worked with Mary told George that she had “single-handedly saved America’s space program... and nobody knows it but a handful of old men.” In addition to being a very private person, Mary was further constrained by the top-secret status of her projects. She kept such a low profile that when famed German scientist Wernher von Braun wrote to her, he addressed the letter to a “Dear Unknown Lady.” In the early 1950s, Morgan—with only a high school diploma—was the sole female analyst among 900 rocket scientists at North American Aviation. If it weren’t for her invention of the propellant hydyne, America’s first satellite would’ve never made it off the ground. Based on a play of the same name that Morgan put on in 2008, this portrait of a mother shrouded in mystery and largely forgotten by the field she pioneered is a compelling read, though folks looking for a more objective biography might be put off by Morgan’s dramatic flourishes and the lack of critical distance between author and subject. Agent: Deborah Ritchken, the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (July)
From the Publisher
""A dramatic, suspenseful tale.” —SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN “Illuminates the exploits of an unsung heroine of the space age.” —Preston Lerner, author and journalist “A beautiful story well told. Mary Sherman Morgan, a woman who toiled in obscurity and liked it that way, rises from a dirt-poor and abusive childhood to break the gender barrier in rocket engineering. She goes on to solve the last remaining problem keeping America from the stars. Mary’s contribution... would have forever vanished were it not for this book. An inspiration for women—and men—everywhere.” —Rod L. Pyle, Author of Destination Mars “This portrait of a mother shrouded in mystery and largely forgotten by the field she pioneered is a compelling read.” —Publishers Weekly “An intriguing biography.... The personal story and family detective work are truly gripping, and Mary, in all her contradictions, emerges as a fascinating subject.” —Booklist “An accessible and enjoyable read.... [It reminds] us of the need to adequately record and credit the contributions of women scientists, like Morgan, to obtain the fullest account in our history-of-science collections. Recommended.” —Library Journal “A sweeping yet intensely personal book.... [It] takes us from the windswept prairies of North Dakota, where Mary Sherman was born, to the equally windswept steppes of Kazakhstan from which Sergei Korolev would launch Sputnik..., putting the United States on a crash course to catch up. [The] race between Korolev and his American rival, ex-Nazi rocketeer Wernher von Braun is deftly interwoven with the daily lives of the unknown engineers [like Mary] who made it possible.” —Douglas L. Smith, legacy content producer, California Institute of Technology “An interesting book that sheds light on a little-known person who played a key role in the early days of the space age, one that should be more prominent given how few women were involved in aerospace at the time.” —The Space Review
From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY
"A dramatic, suspenseful tale." —Scientific American
Astro Guyz
Read Rocket Girl for a fascinating insight into an untold tale of a heroine of the early Space Age. This story would make a great film adaption, along the lines of October Sky... great stories deserve to be told! --July 12, 2013
Slate
George D. Morgan is a clear-eyed, compassionate biographer of his mother and brings the science and military-industrial complex of the space-race era to life. --July 18, 2013
NSTA Recommends
Fascinating ...Compelling...The book is highly readable and could be used in a variety of ways.... A wonderful resource for any science teacher looking for a new opportunity to spur their students' interest in the history of science and the challenges that women have faced in doing the work of science. --July 16, 2013
School Library Journal - Audio
12/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—Mary Sherman Morgan grew up during a time when girls could only dream of having a career in science. Growing up on a farm where education was not valued, Morgan eventually made her way to college. As time passed, she found herself in a challenging situation that caused her to leave college and find a job. It wasn't long before she was working among engineers and helping to launch rockets into space. While it seems like a dream come true for any scientist, Morgan's life was mysterious. Her playwright son manages to uncover secrets that were hidden from her family and reveals what he believes to be the truth. While the story is nonfiction, Joe Barrett's voice adds intrigue as the story unfolds. His inquisitive tone slowly discloses secrets that were buried with Morgan. Some momentum is lost because the story goes back and forth in time, which can be confusing. Details about science and combustion are necessary but will seem long-winded to those more interested in Morgan's obscure life. However, the detective work that exposes the secrets about the author's mother will hold listeners' attention. VERDICT Teens interested in engineering, science, or women's experiences in male-dominated fields will enjoy this audio.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI
SEPTEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
The choice of a man to narrate the biography of a woman could have been awkward, but in this case it’s entirely appropriate. This portrait of Mary Sherman Morgan, America’s first female rocket scientist, is written by her son. The third-person narrative is interlaced with first-person reflections and anecdotes. Joe Barrett offers a solid reading. Listeners will easily come to think of his voice as that of the author. He offers hints of accents in some of the quotes, including a Scandinavian-North Dakota intonation for Mary. While Mary Morgan was involved in highly technical work, the book covers it in easy-to-follow terms that facilitate listening. Overall, the audiobook is structured like a detective story, with the author as the sleuth, in this case uncovering his mother’s classified career. This framework also enhances the audio experience. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
