To the Moon and Back (Reese's Book Club)

A Novel

By: Eliana Ramage

Narrated by: Nathalie Standingcloud, Kamali Minter, Tanis Parenteau

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.

Critic reviews

"The performances of Nathalie Standingcloud, Kamali Minter, and Tanis Parenteau enhance the diverse perspectives of the Cherokee women in this compelling audiobook, which spans more than 30 years."

Indian history

I loved the details and yet felt they sometimes bogged down the book. Sometimes discordant.

soul shaking

as a non-native Oklahoma girl, I found the story riveting and enlightening. I can't recommend this book highly enough. The characters will capture your heart and the narrative performances bring them so vividly to life that I feel I've made new friends. my time spent with tribal people is treasured and this book took me right back to those experiences. you will fall in love with Kayla and Steph and Hannah and Della and the rest, I feel certain.

Incredible & Beautiful

I absolutely love the story the narrators, beautiful voice retelling these events I’m obsessed!! definitely sharing this story with my Book Club friends

Monotonous narration

I couldn’t get past the monotone narration. Premise of the story seemed interesting. Maybe if read book instead of listened

To the Moon and Back

I loved the story. It was well written and captivating. I could not put it down!!