To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

Co-owner and Editor Tracey Koach shares:

To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

When my calendar is full and life seems chaotic, I look for respite in a book. Normally, I will read nonfiction science books. Science has always been my happy place. However, my favorite reading material is rarely considered literature. So, when I came across To the Moon and Back, I had hoped I could get a dose of science in literature.

To the Moon and Back follows Steph as she pursues her dream of becoming an astronaut. The book spans three decades as she battles obstacles to become the first Cherokee woman in space. This book was more about Steph’s relationship with her mother and her sister, her only family, as she grew into womanhood with her singular focus of working for NASA.

I wanted to like this novel. While it is well written, it was not very compelling to me. I was disappointed in the lack of science and the unlikability of the main characters. The characters are all selfish; perhaps that is how the author sees people or that is what most humans are. I will return this book to the shelf and maybe give it another read sometime when I am not craving some planetary geology insights.