My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir

My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir

The remarkable woman at heart of the smash  New York Times  bestseller and Oscar-winning film  Hidden Figures  tells the full story of her life, including what it took to work at NASA, help land the first man on the moon, and live through a century of turmoil and change. In 2015, at the age of 97, Katherine Johnson became a global celebrity. President Barack Obama awarded her the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—for her pioneering work as a mathematician on NASA’s first flights into space. Her contributions to America’s space program were celebrated in a blockbuster and Academy-award nominated movie. In this memoir, Katherine shares her personal journey from child prodigy in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to NASA human computer. In her life after retirement, she served  as a beacon of light for her family and community alike.  Her story is centered around the basic tenets of her life—no one is better than you, education is paramount, and asking questions can break barriers. The memoir captures the many facets of this unique woman: the curious “daddy’s girl,” pioneering professional, and sage elder.  This multidimensional portrait is also the record of a century of racial history that reveals the influential role educators at segregated schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities played in nurturing the dreams of trailblazers like Katherine. The author pays homage to her mentor—the African American professor who inspired her to become a research mathematician despite having his own dream crushed by racism.  Infused with the uplifting wisdom of a woman who handled great fame with genuine humility and great tragedy with enduring hope,  My Remarkable Journey  ultimately brings into focus a determined woman who navigated tough racial terrain with soft-spoken grace—and the unrelenting grit required to make history and inspire future generations.  "[A] winning memoir...a woman who never sought the limelight reflects on a life lived both boldly and humbly." -- "O, The Oprah Magazine" "Her brilliance and numbers helped me and many others reach the stars. A storied and rich legacy that will resonate with many generations of explorers." -- "Astronaut Leland Melvin, author of Chasing Space" "Katherine Johnson's personal story never gets old, and never fails to inspire." -- "Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures " "Narrator Robin Miles's engaging style enlivens the work as her voice captures the wonder, triumph, and grit of the author...This is one of the most enjoyable audio titles of the year. Wiinner of the AudioFile Earphones Award." -- "AudioFile" Katherine Johnson was born in Queensland and grew up alongside the fig tree-lined Brisbane River. At university she combined her two loves writing and biology graduating with both Arts and Science degrees, with honours in marine biology. Katherine then moved to Tasmania where, after more than a decade working as a science journalist for the CSIRO and other organisations, she began writing fiction: stories of love, loss and resilience set against wild landscapes. Her first novel, Pescadors Wake (Fourth Estate) received rave reviews. Her second novel, The Better Son , is a Tasmanian Literary Award winner.