We chat with award-winning author Lindsay Lackey about Farther Than the Moon, a heartfelt story about a boy who wants to become an astronaut, but wonders if his dreams can include his brother with disabilities, perfect for fans of We Dream of Space and Song for a Whale.
Hi, Lindsay! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me today. I am an author of middle grade novels. Sometimes they’re magical, sometimes they’re grounded in reality, but they always explore themes of family, forgiveness, and finding your own voice. I’ve come to realize that whatever my characters need to work through in a story is always what I am working through in real life—whether that’s facing trauma, learning to trust themselves, or finding their place in the world. They say writing is the best therapy, and for me that seems to be true!
I live in the Bay Area of California, but I grew up in Colorado and will always think of it as home. I’ve wanted to be a writer my whole life, so I did everything I could over the years to learn more about the publishing industry. I majored in Creative Writing, then worked in a bookstore immediately after college, followed by working as a children’s librarian for several years. After that, I did marketing and publicity for a small division of Penguin Random House before finally finding the courage and drive I needed to complete my first novel. Now, thanks largely to my husband’s income, I am able to work full time as a writer.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always had a love of storytelling. Even before I could read or write, I would tell my mom stories and make her write them down for me. I always wanted my stories to be bound like a book—construction paper cover, proper title page, my name as the author—and my parents always obliged. I have quite the collection of construction paper-bound books from the time I was in preschool up through high school! (Thankfully, by then my binding process graduated to spiral bound and vinyl covers.) The first time I saw my name on a real book—bound my someone other than my mom or Office Max—I burst into tears. It was a dream come true, and I’m grateful for it every day!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
I remember memorizing The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein when I was a toddler. I couldn’t read it, but my parents read it to me enough that I had every word and page turn down pat.
The book that made me specifically want to dedicate myself to finishing All the Impossible Things was When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I wanted to write something that made people feel the way that book made me feel!
I just read The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt, and it is one of the best books I’ve ever encountered. I cannot stop thinking about it!
Your latest novel, Farther Than the Moon, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Brotherhood, astronauts, cerebral palsy, teamwork, determination
What can readers expect?
I think of Farther Than the Moon as a family-oriented story that is disguised as a STEM and space-lover’s adventure book. The heart of the story is the relationship between Houston and his younger brother Robbie, who has cerebral palsy, and their shared dream of going to space together. The adventure of the story is Houston going to the Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program and getting to train like a real astronaut, completing challenges, doing space craft simulations, and working in microgravity. There is even a super sonic jet or two…
Where did the inspiration for Farther Than the Moon come from?
My inspiration came from two personal connections: first, my husband and his brother, who has CP. Their relationship is so unique and beautiful, and I wanted to capture that in a story while also providing my brother-in-law the opportunity to see someone like him in a book.
My second source of inspiration is that I have known an astronaut my entire life. His name is Robert L. Stewart, and he was the second person to fly the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). It was a jetpack that allowed astronauts to fly untethered through space. It was only flown six times before NASA declared it too risky. Every other astronaut in history has been connected to their spacecraft by a tether, but my friend had the chance to fly freely among the stars. I knew I had to share that story!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Farther Than the Moon is packed with characters, so it was fun coming up with so many different personalities. I’ve discovered over the course of my career that I tend to enjoy writing the antagonistic characters because they get to say and do things that are so far from my own personality. It’s a fun challenge! I also really enjoyed writing the character of Freya. She’s just so sweet and genuine. I wanted to hug her in every scene. (She’d hate that, though.)
The scene that was the most fun to write was the supersonic jet flight scene. I interviewed my astronaut friend extensively about flying in a NASA T-38 jet, and the resulting scene was so fun and dynamic. I think it’s the closest I’ve come to writing a scene that feels like a movie!
What do you hope readers take away from Farther Than the Moon?
There is a phenomenon that happens to astronauts called the Overview Effect. When someone sees the world from space, they realize how precious it is, how rare and fragile. This results in a shift in their understanding of humanity. We are not bound by borders—we are all one crew, and this planet is our one and only home.
I hope Farther Than the Moon will give readers some small sense of the Overview Effect. We are all part of the same crew, and being a good crewmate means making space for each other and learning to communicate, to work together, and to be good stewards of each other and our planet.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my third novel, which I can’t give much information about, but I can say it involves a character from another one of my books who has proven to be very popular!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
My top five reads for this year have been:
- The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt
- Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins
- Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy
- Wild Ride by Haley Arceneaux
- Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp
