Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician Depicted in Hidden Figures , Publishes Posthumous Memoir

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The inspiring posthumous memoir of Katherine Johnson—the NASA mathematician depicted in Hidden Figures, whose precise calculations helped Neil Armstrong walk on the moon—hit bookshelves this week.

In My Remarkable Journey (BUY IT: $16.77; Amazon.com), Johnson recounts her incredible life—from growing up a child prodigy in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to becoming a NASA human computer. With anecdotes and personal touches, she paints a "multidimensional portrait" of her childhood, education, and history-making career.

Katherine Johnson At NASA Langley Research Center
Katherine Johnson At NASA Langley Research Center

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

"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," the book's description reads.

Available at Amazon

Johnson began writing her memoir about a year before her passing in February 2020 at the age of 101. It was co-written with her daughters, Joylette Hylick and Katherine Moore.

"She really wanted to pay tribute to her parents, who had sacrificed so much to educate her and her siblings," Hylick and Moore told Forbes of their mother's desire to tell her story in her own words. "They all completed high school and college at West Virginia State (College) University. This book is more of a personal family story."

"We hope readers will see how important education was to her and her family," Johnson's daughters continued. "We also hope they are inspired by her persistence, strength, tenacity, and fearlessness."

You better believe we're adding this one to our summer reading lists!