its first man into space, 13 women underwent secret testing in hopes of becoming america s first female astronauts. they passed the same battery of tests at the legendary lovelace foundation as did the mercury 7 astronauts, but they were summarily dismissed by the boys club at nasa and capitol hill. the ussr sent its first woman into space in the 1963. the united states did not follow suit for another 20 years. martha ackman tells the story of these remarkable women, all cracker jack pilots and patriots who sometimes sacrificed jobs and marriages for a chance to participate in america s space race against the soviet union. martha ackman spoke extensively with these women and interviewed chuck yeager, john glenn, scott carpenter and others at nasa and in the white house, with firsthand knowledge of the program. it provocative tribute to those extraordinary women, the mercury 13 is an unforgettable story of determination, resilience and inextinguishable hope. we are greatly in