Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe

What a delight to hear Shields, an astronomer, astrobiologist, and classically trained actor, narrate the audiobook of her inspirational memoir, into which she has gracefully woven fascinating astronomical concepts. Shields says her “first love was the sky,” and she laughingly admits she often bumped into things while walking because she couldn’t keep her eyes from the heavens. Although few Black women work in STEM fields, Shields’s parents, professional musicians, and grandmother, a civil servant at a naval air station, supported her aspirations, sending her to a prestigious prep school with its own observatory. There she received financial aid, but paying the remaining tuition was a struggle, underscoring her alienation from the other predominantly white, wealthy students. While performing in a school play, however, Shields finally experienced a sense of belonging, kindling her second great love, acting. It is moving to hear Shields’s genuine joy and sorrow as she relives the past and ultimately learns that she needn’t choose between her two passions.