Bethany House Publishers

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams

What would you do, thousand of miles away from earth in space, with no way of getting back and oxygen running low? Panic or pray? Valkerie does both. Logic says there is no way out, but her heart won't let her give up that God will somehow save them.

For microbiologist, Dr. Valkerie Jansen, the opportunity to join NASA as an astronaut in training is just too good to pass up, she jumps at the chance. But her instructors seem to want her to fail, she is being pushed harder than all the other candidates and she can't figure out why. But NASA have a job for her and need to make sure that she is up to the challenge, both mentally and physically and push her to the limits of her endurance. After a shock resignation, Valkerie is offered the position of the 4^th crew member on Ares 10 - the mission to Mars.

She accepts, but her troubles are only beginning She feels she can't fill the shoes of the man who left, everyone's hero, Josh Bennett, who will now command operations from the ground and it is difficult for her to make friends with the remaining crew, who seem very aloof towards her.

After a terrible launch, things go from bad to worse for the crew of Ares 10 as they lurch from one disaster to another, the pilot has a detached retina caused by the bumpy launch and is blinded in one eye, while doing a spacewalk, Bob the mechanic inadvertently sets off an explosion which ruptures the hull and depressurizes the cabin. The 4^th member, Lex fails to get into her space suit in time and goes into a coma. Paranoia sets in as each of them suspect the other of sabotaging the ship. But is one of them really a saboteur?

This is an excellent story well told. It is very realistic, set in the near future, relying on science that it available today rather than futuristic plot devices to get the astronauts into space. The characters are likeable and well rounded and with the scenes in space, you get the sense of paranoia and claustrophobia that the astronauts must be feeling miles away from home. Who can they trust?

Valkerie is a Christian, as well as a scientist, and you pray along with her, hoping for some miracle to get them over the next hurdle. Don't forget the tissues, I defy anyone not to be crying by the end of this book. Highly recommended.