Cherokee author Eliana Ramage releases debut novel To the Moon and Back

Cherokee author Eliana Ramage releases debut novel To the Moon and Back

By Staff, Cherokee 411

Nashville, Tenn. (September 8, 2025 )- Eliana Ramage, a Nashville-born writer and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, released her debut novel To the Moon and Back on Tuesday, telling the fictional story of a young Cherokee woman’s dream to become the first Native astronaut.

The book, published this week, spans settings from Oklahoma to Connecticut, the depths of the ocean and even outer space. At its heart, Ramage said, is a story about belonging — to a family, to a community, and to a people.

“It started with this one image I couldn’t get out of my head,” Ramage told WPLN News. “When a friend said, ‘If one of you were to become an astronaut, that too would be part of the story of your people,’ I suddenly realized we’d always understood ourselves through history. But what about the future?”

Drawing from both scientific research and lived experience, Ramage weaves astrophysics, Cherokee history, and family memory into the narrative. She credits her foundation in Cherokee culture — from studying the language to attending tribal council meetings with family — as central to her storytelling.

Ramage also reflected on her family’s history. Her grandfather, born in Oklahoma in 1907, was an American citizen but not recognized as a Cherokee citizen due to the Nation’s denationalization. “He lived his whole life in this gap of history without land or government, and yet Cherokee identity was central to who he was. He passed that on to his daughters, and my mom passed it on to me. Now I’m passing it on to my child,” she said.

The book also nods to broader histories, from the Trail of Tears to the Indian Child Welfare Act, blending fact and fiction to explore how personal identity intersects with political and cultural belonging.

Ramage, who has taught creative writing through programs like The Porch and Middle Tennessee State University’s conference, said Nashville’s literary community has been instrumental to her journey. “There’s so much happening here with music, art and writing. It feels like a place I want to be forever,” she said.

To the Moon and Back is now available through booksellers nationwide.

You can buy on Amazon : https://amzn.to/484ZUke