Book Update

 

Like this website, the book was a longer work in progress than we expected.  The final manuscript has been submitted for layout and eventually will be on its way to the printer.

As of July 11, I do have a positive update for you.  I just learned that the PR firm sent a pre-release version to the national media. I'm very excited to share some of their reviews with you all:

Colonel Christopher Roosa, USMCR: This is a must-read book. Ed Mitchell flew to the Moon with my father Stuart Roosa, on the Apollo 14 mission, and Ed and Anita have always been cherished family friends. They travelled the world with my parents, sharing remarkable experiences that few could ever imagine.

The lives of those early space pioneers were extraordinary, and Anita witnessed it all firsthand as an astronaut's wife. Her stories are warm, insightful, and deeply personal, offering a rare glimpse into one of the most exciting periods in human history. This is more than a memoir-it is a window into an era that changed the world.

Beautifully written and thoroughly engaging, Anita has captured those years with honesty, grace and heart.  Great work, Anita.

Robert"Crip" Crippen, Former NASA Astronaut and Kennedy Space Center Director: "This is a page turner about a single mother from the cornfields of Ohio living on the Florida Space Coast in the heady days of the Apollo Moon Program. Her delightful stories and encounters from working in public relations and advertising are thoroughly enjoyable. This leads to her meeting, dating and eventually marrying the sixth man to walk on the Moon, Ed Mitchell. Ed was a brilliant man with some unusual ideas. I believe you will enjoy this tale of an equally brilliant young woman."

Don Yeager, 13-time NY Times Bestselling Author & Hall of Fame Speaker: "Anita Mitchell is the ultimate dinner guest because it doesn't matter where the conversation turns, she has meaningful stories that are always on point. You Don't Look Like an Astronaut's Wife is the book version of being invited to dinner with Anita. Get ready to be enthralled!"

Derek Donovan, Deputy Opinion Editor, The Kansas City Star:  "To anyone who grew up reading about America's first moon shots, the Space Coast of the 1960s will always be fascinating. This new memoir by the wife of astronaut Edgar Mitchell is a time capsule of the era of Tom Wolfe, "I Dream of Jeannie" and our collective wonder at the future. From personal details about making a family and a home, to the weighty issues of rebuilding the Florida Republican Party, Anita K. Mitchell's prose is a breezy and approachable summertime read. "

Leonard David, Space.com journalist and Space Insider Columnist: "A thoroughly engaging read, one that is both retro-fire to the evolution of America's space program but also the author's own touching encounter with her inner space.  Anita Mitchell's extraordinary and personal memoir - from weathering a divorce to marrying Apollo 14's Ed Mitchell, the 6th human to strut his right stuff skills across the Moon's surface, to dealing with the trials and tribulations of life, movie stars, politics, and even metaphysical gurus grappling with the nature of the universe - is quite the saga."

Rick Tocquigny, Author of Truly Significant and Side Quests to Significance:  "This is a memoir that doesn't simply recount history - it invites readers to reflect on their own unexpected journey toward significance. Long after the stories of astronauts fade from memory, Anita Mitchell's deeper message remains: the most meaningful adventures are often the ones we never planned to take." 

Darren Paltrowitz, Paltrocast:  "Anita K. Mitchell’s You Don’t Look Like an Astronaut’s Wife! is a masterclass in navigating an improbable life with relentless resourcefulness, wit, and zero apologies. From small-town Ohio roots to the inner circles of the Apollo space program and high-stakes political campaigns, Mitchell delivers a captivating, behind-the-scenes look at a defining era of American history. It’s a hilarious, fast-paced, and deeply authentic memoir that proves the best journeys are the ones where you confidently build your own roadmap."

Gary Scott Thomas, Here's What We Know Podcast: "What a fun, breezy look at history! Anita K. Mitchell has lived a life, with names like John Wayne, Arthur C. Clarke and Rod Serling casually thrown into a conversation like you were discussing a quick lunch you had with friends. The historical data is interesting, and her positive outlook on life keeps the story uplifting even when the subject matter isn't. A great quick read, did it in one day!"

Stay tuned for more, but in the meantime, say hello to Pickles, the family cat and Daisy, our pup! Feel free to pop on to the other pages on this site.  We're beginning to add some photos and stories that there wasn't room for in the book.