What do you think?
Rate this book
To the Moon and Back
Not yet published
Expected 2 Sep 25One 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 six, her mother, Hannah, fled an abusive husband—with Steph and her younger sister, Kayla, 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 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.
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 six, her mother, Hannah, fled an abusive husband—with Steph and her younger sister, Kayla, 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 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.
- GenresFiction
448 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 28, 2025
5 people are currently reading
7,592 people want to read
About the author
Eliana Ramage
1Ìýbook22ÌýfollowersEliana Ramage holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writersâ€� Workshop. She has been a Lambda Literary fellow and writer-in-residence, a Harpo Foundation Native American Residency Fellow at Vermont Studio Center, a Tin House Scholar, and a Kimmel Harding Nelson resident. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, she lives in Nashville with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 1, 2025
I was lucky to read this book early! It’s truly extraordinary. Steph is a compelling protagonist and I loved how the author told her story through several decades. The character development in this story takes center stage and I connected with all of them (Kayla, Felicia, Della, Nadia, etc!). I loved the powerful women in this story and appreciated the authors ability to create such unique and relatable figures. There are a lot of themes explored in this text, though I most appreciated the through line of space, feminine relationships and indigenous culture. I learned a tremendous amount about all topics (and about even sharks!?) which is always the hallmark of a strong book. Lastly, the writing is incredibly strong. I found myself rereading sentences and passage saying “yes, so true!�. This author captures the humans experience so deftly. This debut is so strong and I vow to read everything from Ramage! What a stunning new voice for readers!
(Extra credit for stunning cover. Rarely does a cover fit SO well with the book. I’m already mentally gifting this book for the 2025 holidays for my bookish friends and family!)
(Extra credit for stunning cover. Rarely does a cover fit SO well with the book. I’m already mentally gifting this book for the 2025 holidays for my bookish friends and family!)
March 28, 2025
My god I loved this book
April 12, 2025
Eliana Ramage’s TO THE MOON AND BACK is my favorite book of the year (and it hasn’t even come out yet! Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc).
From a young age, Steph is determined to be the first Cherokee astronaut in space. I love a story that spans many years. The early chapters address Steph’s childhood in Oklahoma. We follow her to college and beyond, and across several continents. While the story addresses many complex themes like mother-daughter relationships, identity, home, and sexuality, it’s also full of weird, fun adventures. For example, when Steph’s mom can’t afford real space camp, she creates Cherokee “space camp,� which, of course, surly young Steph hates. It’s an odd and funny part of the book, but it also portrays the complexities of motherhood. As a mother of a daughter, I was extremely touched. Each chapter was filled with this type of emotional complexity.
The writing is gorgeous. The character development is absurdly strong. I couldn’t predict what would happen, but when it did happen, it always felt exactly right. I also appreciate Ramage’s unique genre-bending. Several chapters are told from her girlfriend Della’s point of view. One chapter is told through dating profiles. It’s all very clever and fun!
This is an incredible debut. I can’t wait to read more work from Ramage.
From a young age, Steph is determined to be the first Cherokee astronaut in space. I love a story that spans many years. The early chapters address Steph’s childhood in Oklahoma. We follow her to college and beyond, and across several continents. While the story addresses many complex themes like mother-daughter relationships, identity, home, and sexuality, it’s also full of weird, fun adventures. For example, when Steph’s mom can’t afford real space camp, she creates Cherokee “space camp,� which, of course, surly young Steph hates. It’s an odd and funny part of the book, but it also portrays the complexities of motherhood. As a mother of a daughter, I was extremely touched. Each chapter was filled with this type of emotional complexity.
The writing is gorgeous. The character development is absurdly strong. I couldn’t predict what would happen, but when it did happen, it always felt exactly right. I also appreciate Ramage’s unique genre-bending. Several chapters are told from her girlfriend Della’s point of view. One chapter is told through dating profiles. It’s all very clever and fun!
This is an incredible debut. I can’t wait to read more work from Ramage.
March 12, 2025
WOW! Eliana Ramage has written an incredible, smart debut novel. This book is a journey. It's the coming of age story of Steph, a Cherokee girl who from a young age has been determined to be the first Cherokee woman astronaut. Singularly focused on her goal, Steph meticulously makes choices to support her dreams, often to the detriment of her relationships with friends and family. Ramage's writing is incredible, and it was so enjoyable to follow along with Steph's life, through childhood, college and into adulthood as she starts to figure out what is important to her. This novel is in part about mother/daughter relationships and I was moved to tears as Steph started to see her relationship with her mother through adult eyes, realizing more fully the role her mother played in her life and how her mother cared for her. I can't wait to read more by this talented author. I love that this is the second lesbian astronaut novel of 2025 that I've read (the first being "Atmosphere" by Taylor Jenkins Reid); let's keep them coming. This will be on my list of favorite reads of 2025. Like when I read "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles, I feel bereft to leave this fully-formed world behind.
April 26, 2025
Netgalley arc.
can I say this extraordinary? the characters development is amazing and I love that how the author able to build them.
The writing easy to read and I think personally this book kinda unique.
Overall I love it <3
can I say this extraordinary? the characters development is amazing and I love that how the author able to build them.
The writing easy to read and I think personally this book kinda unique.
Overall I love it <3
April 26, 2025
Propulsive story about a woman who from childhood will sacrifice anything to qualify for astronaut training, a later, a space mission. It’s about sacrifice, family conflict, and identity. Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook ARC. It barely falls short of 5 stars for me because of length. I think some passages could have been cut without sacrificing the story.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.