Book Club Questions for To the Moon and Back

Few debut novels arrive with both the intimacy of family drama and the sweep of a generational epic. To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage is one of those rare books.

A Reese’s Book Club pick and a #1 New Release in Indigenous Fiction, it tells the unforgettable story of Steph Harper, a Cherokee woman whose burning ambition to become an astronaut collides with the people and history she cannot escape. Ramage explores the ties that bind us to earth even as we dream of the stars.

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About the Book

At five years old, Steph Harper’s mother flees an abusive marriage, driving through the night with Steph and her sister Kayla to Cherokee Nation. From that moment, Steph vows to reach as far from Oklahoma as possible. Her dream? To be the first Cherokee astronaut.

Over three decades and across multiple continents, To the Moon and Back follows Steph’s relentless pursuit of NASA-level excellence. Along the way, her single-minded ambition tests her bonds with:

• Kayla, her younger sister, who reinvents herself as an Indigenous artist and influencer.
• Della, her college girlfriend, who struggles to reclaim her identity after being removed from her Cherokee family.
• Hannah, her mother, who inspires her children with stories of tribal history while hiding painful secrets of her own.

Through these intertwined lives, Ramage delivers a powerful meditation on ambition, motherhood, belonging, and the cost of chasing dreams at any price.

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About the Author

Eliana Ramage holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She has been awarded fellowships and residencies with Lambda Literary, Tin House, the Harpo Foundation, and the Vermont Studio Center. Her short fiction and essays have appeared widely, earning her recognition as a rising voice in Indigenous literature.

Ramage lives in Nashville with her family. To the Moon and Back is her debut novel, already hailed as “a powerful, resonant debut” (People) and “an immersive and exciting story about the true price of at-any-cost ambition” (The Boston Globe).

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Why It’s Perfect for Book Clubs

This novel invites conversation on identity, family bonds, ambition, and cultural history. Its layered structure—with texts, Instagram posts, lab logs, and more—also sparks discussion on storytelling itself. It’s a book that demands to be shared and unpacked with others.

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Book Club Discussion Questions

Here’s a blend of reworked and expanded questions to help guide your discussion:

1. Steph Harper’s ambition defines her life. Do you admire her drive, or do you think it blinds her to what matters most? Or both?
2. Hannah drives her daughters to Cherokee Nation to find safety and belonging. How does that night on the road echo throughout the rest of the novel?
3. Kayla accuses her mother of not feeling “authentically Indian enough.” What does authenticity mean to each character, and how does it evolve over time?
4. Della’s storyline raises questions about the Indian Child Welfare Act and cultural identity. How did her perspective shape your understanding of family and belonging?
5. How did the novel’s different narrative mediums (texts, social media posts, lab notes) affect your reading experience? Did they add intimacy or distraction?
6. Men like Brett, Matthew, and David appear in the background but have major ripple effects. How does their presence—or absence—shape the Harper women’s lives?
7. Discuss the concept of the “shadow-life” Della reflects on. What do you think Steph, Kayla, and Hannah’s shadow-lives might look like? What about your own?
8. Steph’s relationships (Meredith, Della, Nadia, others) are complicated and often short-lived. What patterns do you see, and what do they reveal about her?
9. What role does art—Kayla’s creative work, Steph’s pursuit of science—play in how the characters define themselves?
10. How did your feelings about Hannah change once you learned the full truth about David? Did it change your view of her motherhood?
11. How does ambition operate differently for Steph and Kayla? Is Kayla’s search for visibility online a mirror to Steph’s drive for NASA recognition?
12. What does being “Cherokee” mean to each character? How do heritage, history, and personal choices intersect here?
13. Were you surprised by the book’s ending? Did you find it hopeful, heartbreaking, or both?
14. Reese’s Book Club called this novel “breathtaking.” What moments took your breath away, and why?
15. If the book had been told entirely from Steph’s perspective, what would have been lost? What was gained by the shifting viewpoints?
16. Do you think Steph ever truly finds a balance between her ambition and her family ties?
17. Which character resonated most with you personally—Steph, Kayla, Della, or Hannah—and why?
18. If you could sit down with Eliana Ramage, what question would you ask her about the story?

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Themes That Shine Through

• Ambition vs. Belonging: Can one woman’s determination to reach the moon justify the distance it creates at home?
• Motherhood and Sisterhood: The Harper women are both each other’s strength and their deepest heartbreak.
• Identity and Authenticity: From arguments about what it means to be “authentically Indian” to struggles with adoption and assimilation, the novel asks how heritage is preserved and lived.
• Family Secrets: From Hannah’s past to the truth about David’s death, silence shapes the family as much as spoken history.
• The Shadow Life: The choices not taken—what could have been—haunt every character.

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Final Thoughts

To the Moon and Back is both sweeping and intimate, a story about chasing the stars while wrestling with the weight of history and family. Ramage doesn’t flinch from flawed characters or messy relationships, and that honesty makes the book unforgettable.

It’s a debut that feels destined to spark conversation and stay with readers long after the last page—perfect for book clubs, fans of family epics, and anyone drawn to stories of identity and ambition.

👉 Buy To the Moon and Back at Amazon