Review: Coming of age during the sixties space race
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2014
Do you remember sitting for hours glued to the television, waiting for astronauts to walk on the moon?  During the sixties, we were all riveted to our radios and televisions, excited, afraid, and full of wonder.  Every detail became fascinating while brave men risked their livesThis novel follows Jessie Cole, a young boy growing up with three brothers in Titusville, Florida, on the very doorstep of the space program, but it’s not simply a story about the space race.  The Cole family faces heartache, fear, and poverty as they struggle to survive.  The book is similar to “Little Women” where siblings grow up and we learn to care about each of them.Jessie is determined to become an astronaut, but he must change his study habits, harness his anger, and work impossibly hard to achieve his goal.  He has a troubled relationship with a drunken, violent father and also faces the intimidation of a vicious school bully.  Can he harness his own anger and learn forgiveness during his quest to become a man?  Jessie’s story is filled with love, pathos, faith, and redemption.The reader also gains insight into the dramatic events that led man to walk on the moon.  We all know it happened, but it’s impressive to follow the step by step progress merged into an effective story.  The author describes the failures and successes of the space program, and we marvel at the courage of brave astronauts who faced death each time they waited for the countdown.  We hold our breath when a Saturn rocket blasts into space or when the lander plummets toward the lunar surface.  The events become real, bringing back memories of actual incidents.I’m sure there is more to Jessie’s story, but I enjoyed taking the first part of his journey.  Buy a copy of this book for yourself and one for your grandkids.  They might just learn something while they become engrossed in a really good story.