A labor of love for over 35 years, “To The Moon And Back” is the inaugural novel by local author Kathi Kotchi.
This attention-grabbing work shows how love can take on many forms. The story revolves around 14-year-old Jessica Maxwell and her ninth-grade math teacher John Garrett.
Neglected by her alcoholic mother, John notices Jessica (Jessie) struggling with her grades and reaches out to mentor her. Initially, Jessie resists any help from John, but over several weeks she eventually accepts. As time progresses, Jessie soon comes to realize John offers safety and security that are rare in her world. “The dialogue between Jessie and John are my favorite parts,” Kathi said.
John refuses to give up on Jessie and will not allow her to give up on herself, even going so far as to call social services due to the neglect that she is suffering at home. John eventually pursues custody of Jessica after an unthinkable event occurs in her life.
Kathi refers to herself as the poster girl for never giving up on your dreams. When she originally tried to get published, she was turned down by 26 agents. The book was placed on the back burner for many years while she worked as a nurse, raised her family, went back to college online, obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree over five years. She also had five joint surgeries in 10 years. Her father’s health began to fail, and he died shortly before the pandemic hit. Even though the book was pretty much shelved during that time, Jessica and John were still very much a part of her life.
“I hope this book will captivate the heart and restore faith in love and humanity. I hope that readers of my book will find their life changed for the better.” Kathi continued, “We all need love and attention in our lives.”
Were it not for Kathi’s determination to get her work published, this book may not have made it to bookshelves. Kathi eventually chose self-publishing and made her work available to anyone who wants their lives enriched by this story of love and survival.
“To The Moon And Back” is available on Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
PHOTO CAP: Kathi Kotchi, Author, To The Moon And Back