To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence

To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence

INDIES Book of the Year Bronze -  Rubery Book Award Shortlist -   National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist - Readers' Favorite Book Award Silver Medal - International Book Awards Finalist -  London Book Festival Honorable Mention The best seats Lisa Kohn ever had at Madison Square Garden were at her mother's mass wedding. The best cocaine she ever had was from her father's friend, the judge. Born to hippie parents and raised in New York City's East Village in the 1970s, Lisa's early years were a mixture of encounter groups, primal screams, macrobiotic diets, communes, Indian ashrams, Jefferson Airplane concerts in Central Park, and watching naked actors on off-Broadway stages during the musical  HAIR . By the time her older brother was ten, Lisa's father had him smoking pot. By the time Lisa was ten, Lisa's mother had them pledging their lives to the Unification Church (the "Moonies") and self-appointed Messiah, Reverend Sun Myung Moon. As a child Lisa knew the ecstatic comfort of inclusion in a cult and as a teenager the torment of rebelling against it. As an adult, Lisa struggled to break free from the hold of abuse and the scars in her heart, mind, and psyche--battling her own addictions and inner demons and searching her soul for a sense of self-worth. Told in spirited candor,  to the moon and back  reveals how one can leave behind absurdity and horror and create a life of intention and joy.  Purchase today and read the fascinating tale of an extraordinary story rarely told in its full complexity. "You really need to read this book, because it's awesome." -- Jenny Lawson , the Bloggess,  New York Times  bestselling author of  Furiously Happy "Growing up in New York in the 1970s, debut author Kohn had few points of reference through which she could make sense of the world around her. She and her brother, Robbie, were caught in the throes of their parents' belief in the Unification Church, founded by a self-appointed messiah, Sun Myung Moon (followers were called Moonies). But this is not just an inside-the-cult book; this is the story of a woman who attempted everything in her power to get out of it. If writing is an evacuation tool to process and understand abuse, Kohn has done an excellent job of producing a text that oozes with honesty and truth." -- Kirkus Reviews "Lisa Kohn writes with an honesty that will grip you immediately and take you on her harrowing, expansive journey. You won't be able to help yourself. You'll be compelled to read her fascinating story--which will entertain, discomfort, and broaden you--and you'll be better for it." -- Tama Kieves , USA Today featured visionary career catalyst and best-selling author of  Thriving through Uncertainty " to the moon and back  is a wild and honest ride that makes sense of complex and sometimes painful experiences with heart, grit, and courage. Lisa's energy, infectious positivity, and transparency about her own life journey and all its twists and turns will inspire any woman who's looking for the light at the end of the tunnel." -- Kelly McNelis , Founder of Women For One, author of  Your Messy Brilliance "Wow. What a read. I truly had trouble putting it down." -- Catherine Gilbert Murdoch , author of  Dairy Queen  and  Book of Boy "Lisa's story is riveting, redeeming and oh so inspiring. I couldn't put it down." -- Cheryl Rice , MS, author of  Where Have I Been All My Life? "One person's crazy cult is another one's sanctuary. When you are a child from a broken home and that person is your mother (and you're so deep into being a Moonie that you are best friends with the leader's kids), and your father is a party-hearty hippie bartender, a lifetime of confusion, and more, is sure to follow. Kohn's long and twisted journey to make sense of it all will have you quickly thinking, 'There but for the grace of God go I' and marveling at the resilience of the human spirit." -- Jo Maeder , author of the bestselling memoir  When I Married My Mother "You really need to read this book, because it's awesome." --Jenny Lawson , the Blogess New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy "A teacher and leadership consultant takes readers into the crevices of a cult. Growing up in New York in the 1970s, debut author Kohn had few points of reference through which she could make sense of the world around her. She and her brother, Robbie, were caught in the throes of their parents' belief in the Unification Church, founded by a self-appointed messiah, Sun Myung Moon (followers were called Moonies)...But this is not just an inside-the-cult book; this is the story of a woman who attempted everything in her power to get out of it...If writing is an evacuation tool to process and understand abuse, Kohn has done an excellent job of producing a text that oozes with honesty and truth." -- Kirkus Reviews "Lisa Kohn writes with an honesty that will grip you immediately and take you on her harrowing, expansive journey. You won't be able to help