In the early days of the space program, a talented test pilot and his wife struggle to save their marriage after the unexpected death of their young daughter.
Jim Harrison is one of the best pilots in the postwar United States. He risks his life testing rocket engines over the Mojave Desert at death-defying speeds. When the space race picks up, fueled by the Cold War, Jim is torn between earning a seat on one of the first manned space flights heading to the moon and dealing with the toll the death of his daughter has taken, hoping to salvage his failing marriage to Gracie while still being able to fly.
Johncock depicts dangerous test runs above Muroc, Calif., in the '50s, and Florida's Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral in the '60s; these early days of NASA and manned space flight provide stark imagery for a story full of simple but mind-boggling consequences. The deceptively plain language allows for moments of emotional vulnerability and reflection to come through: "You ever had the feeling the future's become the past while you were busy being scared? she said. Mac looked at her. All the damn time, he said. She looked away."
Written in sparse, quick prose that balances sadness and action, The Last Pilot is a stunning debut that is as engrossing and profound as it is entertaining. --Jarret Middleton, author, freelance editor