Hi Janet,
As a lifeguard you might well have a rough idea what free-fall feels like. In THE VISITOR, which you have started to read, the story is of a dynamic woman astronaut who gets her first experience of free-fall in chapter one as she heads towards the ISS. I hope my descriptions of her feelings and emotions make you feel you are in the Soyuz with her.
The story is about her discovery of something unexpected in low-Earth orbit which goes on to change her life and the world, catapulting her into fame.
It is hard SF which means there are a lot of realistic descriptions and real science. It is set in 2027.
Hope you enjoy it.
Tony