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Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

To the Moon and Back: A Reese's Book Club Pick

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One young woman's relentless quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut will irrevocably alter the fates of the people she loves most in this tour de force of a debut about ambition, belonging, and family.

My mother took my sister and me, and she drove through the night to a place she felt a claim to, a place on earth she thought we might be safe. I stopped asking questions. I picked little glass pieces from my sister's hair. I watched the moon.

Steph Harper is on the run. When she was five, her mother fled an abusive husband--with Steph and her younger sister in tow--to Cherokee Nation, where she hoped they might finally belong. In response, Steph sets her sights as far away from Oklahoma as she can get, vowing that she will let nothing get in the way of pursuing the rigorous physical and academic training she knows she will need to be accepted by NASA, and ultimately, to go to the moon.

Spanning three decades and several continents, To the Moon and Back encompasses Steph's turbulent journey, along with the multifaceted and intertwined lives of the three women closest to her: her sister Kayla, an artist who goes on to become an Indigenous social media influencer, and whose determination to appear good takes her life to unexpected places; Steph's college girlfriend Della Owens, who strives to reclaim her identity as an adult after being removed from her Cherokee family through a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act; and Hannah, Steph and Kayla's mother, who has held up her family's tribal history as a beacon of inspiration to her children, all the while keeping her own past a secret.

In Steph's certainty that only her ambition can save her, she will stretch her bonds with each of these women to the point of breaking, at once betraying their love and generosity, and forcing them to reconsider their own deepest desires in her shadow. Told through an intricately woven tapestry of narrative, To the Moon and Back is an astounding and expansive novel of mothers and daughters, love and sacrifice, alienation and heartbreak, terror and wonder. At its core, it is the story of the extraordinary lengths to which one woman will go to find space for herself.

Book Details

ISBN: 

9781668065853

EAN: 

9781668065853

Binding: 

Hardcover

Pages: 

448

Authors: 

Eliana Ramage

Publisher: 

Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

Published Date: 2025-02-09

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Customer Reviews

Based on 20 reviews
30%
(6)
45%
(9)
15%
(3)
5%
(1)
5%
(1)
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Amanda Gram-Wilder
Just no

No spoilers so I will just say this book has one of THE most ridiculous and unbelievable scenes I’ve ever encountered in a book. What happens in the ocean is like it’s written by a four year old with zero understanding of the elements at play.

E
Eric Nortman
A satisfying read!

Great read, well written.

J
Jennifer
Great book about a girl's quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut!

To The Moon And Back is a debut novel and Reese's book club's September pick. I would describe it as women's fiction, combined with Native American Lit with some romance.This is a complex book that is divided into 8 parts and spans decades. The book is about a girl's quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut.Steph is Cherokee, although she doesn't always embrace her culture. The book follows her from childhood, to college and more. Steph (the main character) is super interesting. She is reckless. She is determined. She is ambitious. She is selfish. She is an extremely flawed character. But I was completely invested in her quest to go into space.The book features LGBT rep (there is a big focus on Steph's romantic interests). The book also features amazing Cherokee/Native American rep. Readers are exposed to a ton of Native American culture.This is a long book with some slower parts. But this character driven book was very compelling. The book focuses a lot on family. Steph's mom and sister are such important parts of the story. As are a few of Steph's romantic interests. I really enjoyed how all of these characters were incorporated into the book.The book is about space. However it is truly about much more. The book does deal with some difficult topics. And there was one part in the water that completely freaked me out. Plus I wish that we had gotten more information in the last chapter. But overall I really enjoyed the family relationships. And I was fascinated by her determination to get to space. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Atmosphere (by Taylor Jenkins Reid).

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Kristie Kieffer
Honest ARC review. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was lucky enough to be trusted with an ARC of this book by Avid Reader Press. Thank you, Avid Reader Press.To the Moon and Back is a heartfelt, multigenerational debut about ambition, identity, and family. Steph Harper dreams of becoming the first Cherokee astronaut, but her journey is as much about belonging as it is about reaching the stars. Eliana Ramage weaves together the voices of Steph, her sister, her mother, and her girlfriend into a rich, emotional story that asks what we gain—and what we lose—when chasing big dreams.

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K
Kindle Customer
Worst book EVER.

Worst book I've read in a long long long long time. I felt like it would never end. I don't even mind the lesbian love story, but it added NOTHING to the story. And then she throws in the underwater scene?? (No spoilers, but really??)

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