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

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.

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.

Great read, well written.

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).

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??)

“I don’t know if I’ll live, or if we will, or what will come after us. I want to love the universe, even if I don’t know what it is. I do not have to know what it is.”This book was outstanding. I cannot recommend it enough, and I hope everyone loves it as much as I did.Steph was shaped in a way that made her inspiring, but also unlikable. She thought she did what was right, however often had conflicts with the people in her life due to her stubbornness. Ramage highlighted that stubbornness in a unique way, and it was interesting to see the various internal and external conflicts Steph had as she aged.The dynamic between Steph and her sister Kayla was an authentic sibling relationship for sure. You could see how Kayla, who was often portrayed as “lost,” was a source of worry for Steph, but would also step in as a caregiver when Steph needed it. Familial relationships were so well written and portrayed throughout this book, especially highlighting the way individuals in the same family have different opinions and views. It gave a lot of perspectives on a “mother’s love,” and seeing how Steph and Kayla’s mother, as well as Kayla as a mother, were portrayed was really well done.Learning about both Cherokee and Hawaiian history, cultures, and forced colonization was eye opening. It played a huge role in this story, and it was interesting to see how Steph, Kayla, and other characters chose to represent their backgrounds. Eliana Ramage wrote in a knowledgeable manner and took the time to explain both cultures and their history in this book. As someone who has minimal interest on both, I did genuinely learn a lot when reading. It was interesting to see the parallels of both Cherokee and Hawaiian people.The use of social media postings in the book was a pretty cool concept. It gave a bit more depth to the characters and story line, and also matched the timeline of social media and internet growth in the 2000s and 2010s. It wasn’t overbearing either, which I appreciated, and had relevance to the plot.

TO THE MOON AND BACKBY: ELIANA RAMAGEI found that even though I loved and found the writing absolutely intoxicating throughout the entire novel, I think that the first 53% was, and mostly likely to be most familiar to lovers of Literary fiction. Also, I think that the average reader who read the synopsis is going to get to overwhelmed by the second half has multiple themes, and it is a common trap that most debuts fall into that I've noticed. Personally, I think this is a masterpiece, but it does take on multiple themes, which are all important. I think that I did notice that it all kept within the story, but I do think that I noticed around 53% it introduced too many themes which is going to still appeal to some readers, but not everybody. This is an epic, and very MULTIFACETED debut novel, that was masterfully written so well it's amazing to me that this is a debut. I have to say in my humble opinion, I have never read a novel that isn't stellar from a graduate from Creative Writing with an MFA from the IOWA WRITERS WORKSHOP. I was excited that this very gifted Author ELIANA RAMAGE holds a graduate degree from there, and it showed at least to me. The novel is very character driven in the aforementioned first half. and then after that it goes into NASA territory which in lesser hands of a write.r and to me it still pulled me a long like an invisible silk string, however, it might be more technical than the first half. Let me tell you why I think of it that way. It just is a lot of themes which matter, but with NASA and physics combined with the political aspects. plus the cultural aspect of Native American history, is too much.The first part although it's about a young girl named Steph, who wants to become the first Cherokee woman to become an astronaut, but to also be assigned a mission to get to launch into space. It begins with Steph, her younger sister Kayla, and her mother Hannah driving to escape Hannah's husband after a car accident in Texas and with help from another anonymous, but serendipitous person they settle in Oklahoma. My impression of Steph isn't as harsh as some other reviewers whom I read a couple before starting this. Yes, she is self absorbed in her life long quest to want to have a career in space, but she comes from the traumatic car accident where she is just five years old. Directly picking glass out of her sister's hair while old enough to understand that she's left behind her father and her early childhood life to a deeply different cultural home. This is more implicit and not directly stated in the text, but my own interpretation, but maybe hinted at through the narrative which might have been woven throughout here and there. As their mother Hannah educates her two daughters of her ancestors being educated where their own mother reveals little about her own parents. Of course, Steph is going to have issues, and I understood her and empathized with her. The author early on gives Steph flashbacks of memories of her father and there was an attachment formed. Steph remembers her father as a child in the early years, and Hannah was not scrutinized for her lack of insight with Steph, and I think that most readers besides me must realize that Hannah's mothering skills are lacking by her being responsible by her not recognizing that her five year old daughter can't be expected to adapt, or thrive by her mother's emotional neglect. Why am I the first person to point out that even the synopsis fails to mention that Hannah is not only clueless, but in her own way of erasing people like her husband by refusing to talk about Steph's father? If I remember correctly she says he's dead and that he was abusive, and refuses to notice that Steph remembered. Steph often remembers her father, and she has good memories. Just because Hannah moved on without a concern for a little girl who thinks of things her father and her talked about that were about physics and science. Her mother just has a new man named Brett who just appears, and Steph wants to be an astronaut, and she is worried about her younger sister getting taken advantage of by her boy whoever he is? Any child taking on too much responsibility at a young age is going to have issues.Steph was given too much responsibility, and her mother's boyfriend Brett is going to be confusing, since he just appears without any explanation which confused me. Never mind the two girls are expected to call him Dad,.but Steph remembers that she already has a dad, that she loved and thinks about. So is it any wonder that Steph can be so hyper focused on her plan to be an astronaut? Why is Steph so determined to put her career before a relationship, without a doubt I don't see how her mother isn't thought of in the family, or in the synopsis as being selfish, or abusive by anyone, why?Hannah, the mother refuses to talk to her daughters about their father, Steph, or her sister Kayla who Steph feels too much responsibility for protecting Kayla.I have to say t...

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The description of the book leads one to believe it may contain a lot of space related material but it is more focused on the Cherokee ancestry of the main character Steph. Her childhood and growth to adulthood are cast against her growing up Cherokee and the child of a single mother. The characters were well developed. The story was well written.

🚀 To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage4⭐️ | Queer lit • Indigenous rep • Messy ambitionThis one had so much potential, like Cherokee rep, queer coming of age, NASA dreams, but the execution left me torn. Steph’s journey to become the first Cherokee astronaut is raw, messy, and full of heartbreak… but also a bit chaotic.She’s ambitious, selfish, and sometimes hard to root for, which I do respect, but I struggled to connect with her. The NASA details? Not always accurate, and that took me out of it as a space nerd. Loved the creativity in structure (POV shifts, journal entries, dating profiles 👏), but the pacing dragged and some characters vanished mid book without closure.Still, this is a bold, genre bending debut that dives deep into identity, culture, family, and the cost of chasing your dreams. Not perfect, but important.Worth reading if you like complex characters, emotional journeys, and books that don't tie things up with a neat little bow.

"To the Moon and Back" proved to be a surprisingly engaging read that held my interest from beginning to end. I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book through NetGalley, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to dive into its complex world.What made this book particularly compelling was its unflinching portrayal of deeply flawed characters. The protagonist, Steph, was undeniably self-absorbed and, at times, quite challenging to empathize with. In fact, most of the characters in the story carried significant imperfections, making them feel incredibly real, if not always likable.Despite these struggles with relatability, the narrative skillfully compelled me to keep turning the pages. I found myself genuinely invested in their individual journeys, eager to discover what resolutions, if any, awaited them. It's a testament to the author's storytelling that even with characters who are hard to root for, you still become utterly engrossed in their fates.By the novel's conclusion, it was clear that many of these characters embarked on a path towards self-improvement and growth. It was satisfying to witness their evolution, with most of them ultimately succeeding in their quest to become better versions of themselves. This underlying message of redemption and striving for betterment resonated strongly, making the overall experience a rewarding one.If you appreciate character-driven stories where growth emerges from imperfection, "To the Moon and Back" is certainly worth adding to your reading list.

I haven’t read a book this fast in ages! It is so well written and is interesting. The author obviously knows her stuff and researched well in the areas of the Cherokee nation and history, astronaut training, and space travel and exploration. But even more compelling are the characters: the sister and mom, stepdad, friends and lovers and how they all relate in their own ways to the main character Steph. Steph is focused on her goals, to the detriment of many of these relationships and in some situations I didn’t like her very much. But throughout the book she is supported and loved by these other characters and because of them and her experiences you see Steph grow and mature. There are so many layers to this book and even though I read it quickly, it has stayed with me and I keep thinking about different aspects of it. I highly recommend reading it.

These days, many readers, especially those of well recognized minorities, look for books with characters like them, and they can find such books. This book is the life of Steph, a girl that wanted to be the first Cherokee astronaut. But, apparently it takes not just a Cherokee village, but a global village to make an astronaut. So all these other people get to tell their stories as well. And it also takes quite a while and quite a few places to make an astronaut. So there are stories of Oklahoma, Utah, Florida, and the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

**Spoilers**I went into this novel, about a young woman who’s relentlessly driven to become the first Cherokee astronaut, with really high hopes.And it didn’t (completely) disappoint.It took me a long time to really be drawn in and have an understanding of what the story was truly about, though — female ambition, what it means to belong and the complex dynamics of family.I think the problem was that any one of those themes would have been powerful, but trying to tackle all of them, at least for this story, felt like a bit much.The main character, Steph, spent a lot of time being very self-absorbed at the expense of all her relationships. It was hard to root for her until more than halfway through. Not to mention that the large cast of characters in the beginning, along with the shifting perspectives and jumped timelines made it tough to follow sometimes.But the last third of the book redeemed itself, and after a freak accident during a training exercise, the main character finally got it together and became more self-aware and likable.3.5 ⭐️ rounded upThank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced electronic copy of this book.

The main plot of this story was good, with Steph working toward being an astronaut all of her life. I respected her dedication to making it happen. The parts regarding her Native American heritage were also very interesting. As the sisters felt totally different about their experiences, It was intriguing to see the same events through the eyes of each of them.A lot of the story, however, is spent exploring her sexual relationships -- all of which seem very similar. It's hard to root for someone who is constantly sabotaging themselves. The other characters (except Brett) were also very hard to like. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if we could see some redeeming factors in some of them. The pace is very slow, and it tended to drag sometimes, which also made it harder for me to enjoy.

I loved loved loved this book. Absolutely tore through it, couldn’t have put it down if I tried. It is going to be so hard to write this without spoilers because I want to talk about every amazing detail of this tender, hilarious, GORGEOUS novel.The story follows Steph, a girl and then young woman, as she pursues her dream of becoming an astronaut. Steph is driven by a singular determination that cuts both ways, bringing out the best and worst of her in the relationships she builds with family, friends and lovers. She changes and in turn is changed by these (mostly) women in ways surprising and relatable, painful and endearing. Steph’s journey asks big questions about identity and belonging, trust and ambition.I loved the way messy, real politics informed the actions of the characters, but nothing could be reduced to the politics alone. It was like an invitation to really see a thing from all these different sides, and simultaneously to see how impossible it is to have that kind of perspective when you’re in the muck of it, with all your hurts and fears. Ramage has a particularly beautiful way of condensing these complexities into metaphors that I suspect I'll never forget.That sounds intense, and it is, but let me tell you, I was not prepared for how funny this novel would be. Young Steph’s has this earnest sense of grandeur, burdened (oh so indulgently) by the conviction of her inevitable greatness. She lets us into these colorful fantasies of the many potential paths before her, which play out with a serious and cinematic attention to detail. There are delightful moments of baby gay self discovery (so sweet! so earnest! so awkward!) which eventually transform into the kind of swaggery wit you’d expect from a wickedly smart queer with a six pack and some well-earned, ahem, skills. Grad school Steph’s online dating profile (complete with select reviews from past dates) had me in stitches.By far my favorite part of the novel was all of these beautiful, tender moments of connection and its failures - written with so much care and honesty and such a light touch. I just fell into these moments and could have all the feelings right along side Steph and Della and Kayla - and HANNAH! My god, I was not expecting Hannah. I ache for her in all her imperfections and bad (impossible) choices. What a gift to see this kind of love for all characters, even the difficult ones, even the ones it would be so much easier to write off.

I’m only about a third of the way in and, already, I feel so touched by the story and the way it is written.I’ll come back to edit this when I’m finished reading because I want to take my time enjoying it but so far it’s been a great read.

When I read the description, I did not realize that this is a lesbian love story. Some of the detailed sex descriptions made me uncomfortable (very graphic hetro scenes can do the same sometimes). It was also drawn out, longer than it had to be, because of these scenes.I did really love other parts of the story: what it takes to get into NASA (both organizations with that acronym), mother-daughter / family relationships, the importance of cultural heritage and knowing one's story. I also loved the way it came full circle at the end. This is the reason for three stars and not less.I received an advance copy of this book and it began with reviews and quotes from other authors and writers (and an executive editor). The missing punctuation and space bands in this section was so bad that I made me "worry" about the rest of the book. Happily, the author, an MFA, did a better job than the "professionals". If this section is included in the final version, I sincerely hope that it is cleaned up.

Seriously? Another Astronaut story that has a lesbian love interest? Sounds a lot like Taylor Jenkins Reid book Atmosphere from earlier this year. Really Reese? Your September 2025RBC book has the same premise as a book published earlier this year? Sounds a lot like the 2 Agatha Christie disappearance books written w/in 2years of each other - The Mystery of Mrs Christie by a Marie Benedict from 2020 and The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont from 2022, a Feb 2022 Reese Witherspoon book club pick. Coincidence? Maybe. Not sure, but funny how RBC has picked 2 books that are similar to other books previously written. I know it happens, but still….Anyways, I’ll give To the Moon and Back a chance. So far it’s a 3 rating for me and reads like a YA book. I hope it improves the further I get into it.

Steph is determined to be the first Cherokee astronaut in space and this book follows her coming of age tale. I think readers are going to love this inspiring novel from Eliana. This book is unique and interesting and despite that, I had a hard time rating this one. I appreciate the work the author put into this and it is well crafted but personally I didn't enjoy it as much as I wish I did.

This was a fascinating book. Steph is a Cherokee woman who dreams of escaping her place in life and her traumatic past to make it to space. She’ll stop at nothing to get there, and puts herself and her dreams first. There were some very heavy themes in this book that were handled with care. I didn’t always like Steph or agree with her choices, but I wanted to know where she would end up all the same. A great debut book.