67 pages • 2-hour read
Hidden Figures
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism and gender discrimination.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. How does Shetterly’s personal connection to the story (growing up in Hampton with many of these women) affect the way she tells it? Have you read other books where the author’s connection to the subject matter similarly enriches the narrative—for example, Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns?
2. What surprised you most about the contributions these women made to America’s space program? How did the book change your perception of NASA’s history?
3. The book’s title plays on the dual meaning of “figures” as both people and numbers. How effective is this metaphor in capturing the essence of these women’s stories?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Dorothy Vaughan recognized early on that electronic computers would revolutionize her field and actively prepared for this change. Have you had to adapt to major technological changes in your own career? If so, how did you handle the shift?
2. Katherine Johnson’s persistence in attending editorial meetings challenged an unwritten rule against women’s attendance. What unwritten rules have you encountered, professionally or otherwise?
3. The women in the book balanced demanding careers with family responsibilities during an era when this was less common. How do their experiences compare to modern work-life balance challenges?
4. Mary Jackson had to petition for special permission to take classes at a segregated high school to advance her career. Have you ever faced any obstacles in pursuing educational or professional advancement? How do you think you would have responded in her situation?
5. Christine Darden confronted her superior about gender discrimination, leading to new opportunities. Have you ever had to advocate for yourself to someone in a position of authority? What did you learn from the experience?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. How does the book’s portrayal of institutional racism at Langley mirror broader issues in American society during the Space Race? What parallels do you see to contemporary workplace discrimination?
2. What role did executive orders play in advancing civil rights at Langley? How does this compare to current methods of promoting workplace diversity?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. How does Shetterly weave together the personal stories of the four main women with larger historical events? What effect does this narrative technique have on the reader’s understanding? Have you encountered other works that share a similar structure—e.g., Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City?
2. Examine the symbolism of physical spaces in the book, such as the segregated West Computing area and the “Colored Computers” cafeteria table. How do these spaces reflect the work’s larger themes?
3. How does Shetterly use the evolution from human computers to electronic computers as both a literal development and a metaphor for social change?
4. Compare and contrast the four main women’s approaches to dealing with discrimination. What do their different strategies reveal about both their personalities and their era?
5. How does Shetterly’s background as a businesswoman rather than a historian influence her approach to telling this story?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. If you were making a documentary about these women today, which aspects of their story would you emphasize? What contemporary voices would you include?
2. Imagine you’re creating a museum exhibit about the “computers” at Langley. What artifacts, documents, or interactive elements would you include to help visitors understand their significance?
3. If you could spend a day with any of the four main figures during their time at Langley, whom would you choose, and what questions would you ask them?
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