Sally Ride, the first female astronaut to make it into space, who died on July 23, will be the subject of a new biography by journalist Lynn Sherr. Alice Mayhew at Simon & Schuster acquired the book from ICM's Esther Newburg and the title's scheduled for 2013.
Sherr, who covered the space program for ABC during the early 1980s, became friendly with Ride during that period. S&S said Sherr "got to know Sally Ride very well, both as a subject and later as a friend, and she has exclusive access to Ride’s family for this book." Promising the book to be the first "in-depth look at the unusually private woman beyond the spacesuit," S&S added that the book will also feature significant input from Ride's partner of over 20 years, Tam O'Shaughnessy, and offer a "capsule history of the Space Shuttle program."
Speaking to the book, Sherr said: "It’s not only Sally’s life story—the girl from California who was supposed to be a tennis pro but shot for the stars instead—but it’s what made her special."
