posted 02-18-2013 09:03 AM            

I know Annie Glenn is still alive and that Louise Shepard is deceased. But what about the other five wives?

I'm not aware of any books (except Betty Grissom's own) that deal with their lives and am thinking this is a major untapped primary source from the early days of US manned spaceflight.

So: Is anyone working on such a book?

posted 02-18-2013 09:17 AM               

As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons, donning sherbet-swirled Pucci dresses and lacquering their hair into extravagant rocket styles.

Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage and many magazine features, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde bombshell Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; Betty Grissom worried her husband was having affairs; Louise Shepard just wanted to be left alone; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a dirty secret. With each spectacular launch, they worried they might never see their husbands again. Together they formed the Astronaut Wives Club...