To the Moon and Back (Reese's Book Club): A Novel
A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK: “A breathtaking debut about family, identity, and love across generations.” —Reese Witherspoon
“Eliana Ramage will break your heart and take you to the stars. From painfully accurate depictions of adolescence to effortless jumps through time and space—I loved it all.” —Kiley Reid
In this dazzlingly powerful story of family, ambition and belonging, one young woman’s obsessive quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut irrevocably alters the fates of the people she loves most.
Steph Harper is convinced that only space—outer space—can save her. From a childhood of fearful running and alienation; from a family and community that threaten to suffocate her with their reverence for the past. Equal parts tender, funny, and heartbreaking, To the Moon and Back charts the course of Steph’s singular dream: to become the first Cherokee astronaut, no matter who or what she has to leave behind.
But despite her self-prescribed loneliness and reckless ambition, Steph’s story isn’t hers alone. To the Moon and Back also brings to life the vibrant, complex women—a celebrity activist younger sister, an ex-Mormon college girlfriend, and a devoted mother with a crushing secret—who insist on loving her…even when she least deserves them.
From a simulated Mars habitat on a Hawaiian volcano, to a house in the Ozark foothills in Cherokee Nation, to a pressurized research station on the floor of the Atlantic and beyond, Steph will stretch her bonds with each of these women to the point of breaking, driving them to reconsider their own deepest desires in her shadow. An awe-inspiringly epic novel of mothers and daughters, sisters and sacrifice, love and loss, terror and wonder, To the Moon and Back is the unforgettable story of one astronaut’s most surprising discovery: how deeply she loves life on earth.
“Eliana Ramage will break your heart and take you to the stars. From painfully accurate depictions of adolescence to effortless jumps through time and space—I loved it all.” —Kiley Reid
In this dazzlingly powerful story of family, ambition and belonging, one young woman’s obsessive quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut irrevocably alters the fates of the people she loves most.
Steph Harper is convinced that only space—outer space—can save her. From a childhood of fearful running and alienation; from a family and community that threaten to suffocate her with their reverence for the past. Equal parts tender, funny, and heartbreaking, To the Moon and Back charts the course of Steph’s singular dream: to become the first Cherokee astronaut, no matter who or what she has to leave behind.
But despite her self-prescribed loneliness and reckless ambition, Steph’s story isn’t hers alone. To the Moon and Back also brings to life the vibrant, complex women—a celebrity activist younger sister, an ex-Mormon college girlfriend, and a devoted mother with a crushing secret—who insist on loving her…even when she least deserves them.
From a simulated Mars habitat on a Hawaiian volcano, to a house in the Ozark foothills in Cherokee Nation, to a pressurized research station on the floor of the Atlantic and beyond, Steph will stretch her bonds with each of these women to the point of breaking, driving them to reconsider their own deepest desires in her shadow. An awe-inspiringly epic novel of mothers and daughters, sisters and sacrifice, love and loss, terror and wonder, To the Moon and Back is the unforgettable story of one astronaut’s most surprising discovery: how deeply she loves life on earth.
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Community Reviews
This was a story about a young girl, Steph, who wants to become an astronaut. And not only that, she wanted to become the first Native American female to do so. The premise began well as the reader is introduced to her mother Hannah and younger sister Kayla. But you get the sense that the mom doesn’t really support Steph, as she hides Steph’s free-ride acceptance letter to Philips Exeter, causing her to lose her spot. Steph had researched and applied to top schools where astronauts had gone to school, and Philips Exeter was one such school. Hannah doesn’t want to lose her at such a young age to boarding school. The mom has deep-rooted issues that become apparent later on, which keep Steph at home at the reservation school until college. While an adolescent, Steph begins to realize she is attracted to females. And at college, she explores this, meeting her first girlfriend, Della, who is also Native American. I began to feel this section, and also a later section with her sister as a mommy-blogger activist with tons of followers, really dragged. It’s not until later in the book, when Hannah, Steph and Kayla are unexpectedly together again under one roof, that the story of Hannah’s past life and motivations make sense on why she wanted to keep her girls home and safe. I found it hard to relate to the main character, Steph, and her obsession with space. Just not my kind of book.
Didn’t really like any of the characters. Had higher hopes for this book and I was just kind of glad to finish it.
It took me some time to fully immerse myself in this book, as the narrative felt saturated with an array of events, layers of personal growth, and continual transformation. However, as the story progressed, particularly toward the end, I began to appreciate the full circle resolution and the depth of what was unfolding. I would recommend this work to readers who enjoy a deliberate, slow-building plot. Conversely, those who favor a fast-paced storyline may find it less engaging.
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