To the Moon and Back

by Katie-Jo Gracie

Grief, you see, is a heavy thing.

It is heavier than dragging a whale's body up onto the ice, heavier than enduring a winter that lingers past all hope, heavier even than feeling the sky itself pressing down, as if full of words you cannot speak.

Most people know how to carry it. They strap it to their backs like a pack of furs. They walk, bent double, until the load lightens. They share the weight with their Neighbours. They cry. Then, eventually, they stand up straight again. They look at the sun. They say, Life is for the living.

But Kissimi was not like most people.

Kissimi's heart was not made of muscle and blood, but instead felt like fragile glass and empty echoes.

For Selene, safety is a small, quiet place where the door is triple-locked, and the curtains are drawn. Reeling from a traumatic past, she lives in a carefully constructed sanctuary of silence. But the silence is broken each night by the muffled, terrifying arguments coming from the outside...

To the Moon and Back is a heart-wrenching and hopeful story about bereavement, grief and finding your way back home.

158 pages, Paperback

Published March 13, 2026

Reviews

[Nic & Ry Meltdownerz]

Thank you you Library thing and the author for a copy of this gorgeous, emotional and well written story about grief, autism, trauma, loss and avoidance.

I am so grateful to have found this book right now, after dealing with grief last year from a tragedy that hit me so hard. I am stronger now to read this. Anyone going through grief, if you feel like you will never be okay ever again, there is hope. Things DO get better and it does hurt less over time, trust me. It might be hard to believe that, but things do get better.

The story telling in this book so far is PHENOMENAL. Beautifully written 🩷 I loved all the parallels. This was written by someone who has a lot of life experience, wisdom and empathy. And as an autistic gal, I felt seen and I think this could be really empowering to anyone struggling. May this book find you and help you take those steps forward. Anything other than 5 stars would be crazy for a book that could probably save a lot of people lives.

[Rylie Wilson]

“One: you must unlock the door you built to keep the monsters out.”
“Two: you must step out of the shelter and let the cold air touch your skin.”
“Three: You must let yourself be seen. Not as a star, distant and perfect. But as a broken thing that bleeds”

This book is insanely unique. The picture of grief that gets painted is so beautifully written. It also showcases the world from a different lens considering the main character has late diagnosed autism. It’s truly enthralling, I read it all in one sitting.

There is no language and no spice.

Thank you to the author for the free ebook copy. All thoughts are my own!

[Gillian Mather]

To the moon and back is a book I enjoyed tremendously not only because the writers style painted vivid pictures as I was reading but because it caused me to look at the world from a different perspective and view it from other peoples point of view and be more sensitive to the struggles they go through every day. I think the book will leave you more aware and changed in how you see others processing in a different way to yourself. Loved how everything comes together in the end .
I think some people will completely empathise with the characters and the emotions that are described here. I would highly recommend it and hope to see more from this author

[Juno]

First I want to thank Katie-Jo for reaching out to me, this book was provided for free but reviews are still my own.

I came into this book completely open minded and was taken by complete surprise at the vivid world the author created that tells a story of grief and neurodivergence.

Some of the most beautiful descriptions really had me empathising throughout and has me thinking of how to manage the big emotions as a fellow late diagnosed neurodivergent.

I read this book in one sitting, enraptured throughout and spent some time after just sat in my chair, digesting the feelings it gave me.

Worth a read for sure!

[Jamelia]

I picked this up because I was a beta reader for Katie-jo's book "Rest for the Weary".
I love that book; obviously, it wasn't fiction, so I wasn't sure what this would be like.

I'm still not sure how I would categorise this book by genre; it's unlike anything I've ever read. I read the whole book in one night. I could not put it down. My daughter is now reading it too. As someone who has walked through this type of grief, I felt so seen. I'm telling everyone about this book. It is an absolute must-read. If I could give it 10 stars, I would.

[Joan Knott]

Really good read

This book had me totally enthrawled.
The devestating grief following the death of a loved one was brilliantly described.
The other element of the book which described the struggles of an autistic girl to find her place in a world which does not understand her was really emotional

[Purple Turtle Reads]

This story was heart-wrenching. This story was a beautiful testimony to anyone struggling with grief, trauma, or neurodivergent burnout. This story was like nothing I've read before, which made it all the more pleasurable. ❤️

Using an Inuit folklore story as a metaphoric parallel to the present day, this story delves into protagonist Selene and her experience as a late-diagnosed ASD woman after getting out of a toxic relationship with her former fiancée. The way Selene's traumatic past haunts her is truly heartbreaking, and it will take you on an empathetic journey of experiencing the aftermath of mistreatment, emotional abuse, and abandonment through the lens of a neurodivergent woman. However, Selene's resilience and strength to overcome her demons, finally embrace her true identity, and stop blaming herself, was the truly inspirational part of this story.

As a young woman myself who realized she was AuDHD during my adolescence, I deeply resonated and connected with this story. The overwhelming thoughts, sensory overload, dissociation, and feeling trapped in your own mind are all very real experiences, and this novel perfectly illustrates them in a respectful and authentically honest manner.

While a relatively short novel, the writing was phenomenal, the storytelling was genuine, and Selene's character was the perfectly imperfect embodiment of so many people who struggle with grief, burnout, and dissociation, whether you're neurodivergent or not. It will undoubtedly take you on a journey of healing and self-discovery.

✨ Overcoming Trauma
✨ Neurodiversity
✨ Dissociation
✨ Hope in the Struggle
✨ Inuit Myth
✨ Found Family
✨ Resilience

✨ To the Moon and Back is the first installment in the upcoming "Tales of the Other Kind" series, featuring different modern-day disabilities with parallels to ancient stories from around the world. Suitable for mature (16+) young adult readers and older for heavy thematic content. ✨

[K.S.May]

To the Moon and Back has an interesting premise, using myth, grief and neurodivergence to explore how differently people process loss and the world around them. There are moments where the imagery is genuinely effective, and I can understand why some readers have found the book moving. Unfortunately, the writing was far too heavy-handed for me. The Kissimi sections in particular lean so heavily on metaphor and poetic language that the emotion sometimes feels manufactured rather than natural — the opening comparison of grief to whales, winter and the sky pressing down is a good example of the book constantly reaching for significance. I also found the repeated emphasis on difference, overwhelming emotion and symbolic meaning increasingly artificial, with some passages having the polished, carefully constructed quality I associate with AI-assisted prose. Obviously I cannot know whether AI was used, but that impression made it harder for me to connect with the characters. The later material around autism and grief is more grounded, but overall I wanted subtler writing and more trust in the reader rather than having every feeling and metaphor pushed so strongly.

[Frank Gaipa]

If there’s a fault here, and I don’t know that there is a fault, it’s that the Kissimi sections are extremely ephemeral, leaning hard on simile and metaphor. Kissimi is unreal, of course, but at the same time she’s Selene. She’s as real as Selene makes her. I much prefer the Selene sections. I felt her pain more vividly than I did Kissimi’s.

Even so, it’s a well-crafted novella that touches on important issues. Loss, autism, and dealing with loss as an autistic woman. The therapy sessions feel as real as they are frustrating. Oliver may be too good to be true, but poetically he balances Kissimi’s frozen North. His chords seem to call to the titular moon.

My best advice is don’t be put off by the intangibles. Dig in and flow with them. To the North, to the moon, to wherever. Autism doesn’t receive a mention until around the thirty percent mark. From there, the story grounds itself in real-life frustrations and overcoming them with the help of the moon.

[Sarah Nolan]

Words cannot express how deeply moved I was by this entire book.

The grief representation was so exquisitely done, and my heart broke and was put back together again, alongside Kissimi and Selene, piece by piece.

Kissimi’s grief at the loss of her love, drove her to seek solitude in an ice palace on the moon. Her grief, when mixed with the lyrical prose, the stark and austere moon palace, truly showcased how isolating and terrifying navigating grief can be. And that the smallest sliver of hope can move you to breathe, to want to live again.

Selene’s own traumatic past has left her feeling that the four walls of her apartment are the only place she is truly safe from the world. As she starts to unravel the haunting words and experiences of her past, she finds herself in a harrowing journey of healing. I resonated so much with Selene, and felt her courage and bravery to slowly heal her heart, mind, and soul, moment by moment.

This story touched me and changed me in so many ways, and I will never be the same person again.

Romantic Content: ❌ No Spice

CW: Loss of Loved One, Emotional Abuse/Gaslighting, Trauma, Late Autistic Diagnosis, Anxiety, Grief, PTSD

[PRAMILA]

To The Moon and Back is a beautifully written and emotional story about grief, loneliness, and healing. The writing feels poetic and immersive, especially in the moon scenes with Kissimi and the quiet emotional struggles of Selene. Both characters feel deeply human in different ways, and the book explores how people isolate themselves after pain.

What I liked most was the atmosphere... calm, haunting, and reflective without becoming boring. The story moves slowly, but it gives the emotions time to settle naturally. Some parts felt heavy because of the descriptive writing, but overall it was a thoughtful and memorable read that stays with you after finishing it.

[Alison Marsh]

Wow! To the Moon and Back was not what I expected nor was it like anything I have read before. I loved the author’s writing style, which was almost lyrical and a joy to read. I won’t pretend to fully understand the parallel stories of Selene and Kissimi, but once I made my peace with that, I allowed myself to be swept away in the writing. Thankyou to the author for the opportunity to read and review this via LibraryThing. One that will stay with me for a while.

[Lizzie (Lizziesreadingcorner)]

3.5🌟

To the moon and back
By Katie-Jo Gracie
Standalone

I received an ebook from the author in return for an honest review.

Review:
I had no clue what to expect with this book. The only thing I knew was that the grief rep was beautifully done. And it was so.

This story follows two young woman, one who's grieving and the other trying to forget about the past.

One of the woman is autistic, and the rep was so well done. I could tell the author treated every topic with care.

I liked the story, but at times I grew a bit bored as I felt like nothing was really happening.
The writing uses a lot of metaphor which I can appreciate at times.

Overal the story was good and I will recommend it!

(Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.)

Content:
* Grief
* Emotional abuse (past)

[Christine Davage]

This is a truly unique book that I read in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. The author skilfully weaves two stories into one, using an Inuit oral traditional story as a metaphor for a woman dealing with heartbreak and self discovery, through a lens of late diagnosed autism. I haven't read anything like it before and found it incredibly moving. Highly recommended!