Customer Reviews

Seize the Moment: Autobiography of Helen Sharman

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This was an interesting and enjoyable read. It tells the story of astronaut Helen Sharman's trip into space, and what led up to it.

The chapters are nicely interleaved - a handy technique for maintaining interest. The book starts on launch day, and Chapter 1 takes Helen into space. Then the next chapter describes her childhood (briefly) and how she came to sign on as an astronaut.

After that alternate chapters describe events of her time in space and return to Earth, or the selection process and her training.

One of the things I loved was how she made it clear that she was an 'ordinary' person, from an ordinary town and family, with good but not medal-winning school scores, rather than 'astronaut stuff'. In fact, she hadn't ever dreamed or thought of space or being an astronaut, until one day when she heard an advertisement for the job.

That's the kind of thing that holds out hope for others who may one day find themselves in position to take on something remarkable.

This was a good and easy read, with lovely details about the daily experience of being in space.