TRAJECTORY, by Cambria Gordon, Scholastic Press, April 2, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
A young woman finds herself working on a top-secret project for the US Army during WWII in Trajectory, by Cambria Gordon.
Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is nothing like her hero Eleanor Roosevelt. She is timid and all together uncertain that she has much to offer the world. And as World War II rages overseas, Eleanor is consumed with worry for her Jewish relatives in Europe. When a chance encounter proves her to be a one-in-a-generation math whiz—a fact she has worked hard all her life to hide—Eleanor gets recruited by the US Army and entrusted with the ultimate challenge: to fine-tune a top-secret weapon that will help America defeat its enemies in World War II and secure the world’s freedom. This could be her chance to help save her family in Poland.
Soon, she’s swept from the basement of an Ivy League engineering school, to the desert of California, to an Army Air Corps base at Pearl Harbor, and finally she takes to the skies above the South Pacific.
But before she can solve this complicated problem, she must learn to unlock a bigger mystery: herself. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Trajectory is historical fiction with a STEM twist that’s fascinating for young adults and adults.
At the center of the story is Eleanor, a girl who loves math but has kept her talent hidden. But it’s hard to keep that sort of ability quiet forever, and when she leans into it, she realizes what a difference she can make.
Because Trajectory is about human computers, readers should expect to see some math. It may not all make sense to readers as far as following the equations, but it does make sense in Eleanor’s story. The book wouldn’t be the same without it.
That said. Author Cambria Gordon’s writing is accessible and entertaining. She draws readers in with a complex main character and an intriguing supporting cast. Her pacing is strong and she does a great job creating tension.
Trajectory is a historical fiction novel where plot points are built from true events. It’s a thoughtful and engrossing read with broad appeal.
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