Hey Loves!
I hope you’re all well and enjoying the lighter mornings and evenings we’re getting! I hope this has meant you can squeeze in some reading time too! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage. I was very kindly sent a copy of this book which is always thing! It’s not a book I had come across before, but the premise immediately intrigued me and I was really curious to see where the story would go. Thank you to Milly Reid for the copy.
What’s it all about?
At the centre of the story is Steph Harper, a determined young woman who dreams of becoming the first Cherokee astronaut. Her childhood is shaped by upheaval when her mother flees an abusive relationship and brings Steph and her sister to live in Cherokee Nation, hoping they can finally find a sense of belonging.
“It struck me then how much time she must have spent as a mother, how much of her motherhood, pretending not to feel things.”
From that point on, Steph becomes completely focused on one goal: getting to the moon. She throws herself into the demanding training and education she believes will one day get her to NASA. But ambition comes at a cost, and as the novel unfolds, we see how Steph’s relentless determination begins to affect the people closest to her.
The story spans several decades and follows not only Steph, but also the three women whose lives are closely tied to hers: her sister Kayla, her girlfriend Della and her mother Hannah. Their stories weave together as each of them struggles with identity, belonging and their own hopes for the future.
“Not realizing—the strength it takes to say what you want. The ambition of wanting a certain life.”
What I found particularly powerful about this book was how it explores the tension between ambition and relationships. Steph’s dream is incredible and inspiring, but the novel also asks whether chasing a dream so fiercely can sometimes push away the people who matter most.
Final Thoughts
This was such an expansive and emotional story. It touches on family bonds, identity, culture and the sacrifices that often come with following your dreams. The narrative moves through time and different perspectives, which at times made it feel quite dense — but it also gave the book a richness that stayed with me after finishing it.
I especially appreciated how the novel balanced the huge idea of space exploration with very human emotions like love, loss and belonging. It’s the kind of story that makes you pause and think about what it really means to find your place in the world.
Overall, I’m really glad I had the chance to read this one and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future.
Big Love xxx
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