As soon as I saw the new Tommy Orange book coming out, I ran like crazy to the Netgalley to request an ARC. One thing I did not expect: it would take days upon days to finish it, despite not being bulky. It was an emotionally heavy read. The author dedicated this book to all victims of addiction. Hence, each character struggles one way or another with that demon. We get to know those characters intimately, but the author doesn't try to explain the reasoning behind the choices. Those characters come across as organic as any human being would. There is no good study of oneself that would provide an answer to that question. Yet, by making it the main subject of the book, as readers, we get to empathize and understand more.

Tommy Orange has an amazing ability to exercise our compassion muscle with amazing writing, almost poetic at times, but so intentionally chosen within each paragraph that it was a lit study for me, not entertainment. Which, I mean as a compliment to his art. Also, the big topic of this book was generational trauma within the Native American community. Here, we find out about the ancestry of Orvil, the main character in "There, there". By choosing different types of narration for each character, they will stay with me for a long time. I was able to distinguish them, but the author didn't do it for the reader. It seems he chose it to give justice to the voice of his characters, who could easily exist in real life.

The second part of the book deals with events post "There, there" and it was the most difficult for me to get through. Orvil and his brothers and grandmas create such a heartwarming family unit. Yet at the same time, we have to remember: "Everything that happens to a tribe happens to everyone in the tribe". And the addition of one becomes a struggle for the whole family. What I appreciate the most in the writing, is how this whole phrase perfectly describes also generations that came before the main character and how their suffering radiates towards him directly and indirectly.

Let me finish with the following: "To endure or pass through endurance test after endurance test only ever gave you endurance test passing abilities". Each and one of a chapter was a presentation of the test, and another and another. For that, this book is unique, amazing, and worth every minute I spend reading.

This is where I leave off because I will be praising this book for eternity.

If I had been better about reading choices, I fully realize my rating would have been higher on this book. Here’s why:

I loved There, There as well as all the characters in it. I was fascinated with the threads of the story and how Tommy Orange weaved them all together. Sadly, I read it awhile ago and had forgotten many of those same threads. I needed to do a re-read before Wandering Stars, as I kept trying to figure out connections.

I read this one on my kindle, which was a big mistake. It’s one of those books that I wanted to page back and forth, finding those connections, and I can’t do it on my kindle.

I also took too long to read it, as it was my bedtime book; I needed to just sit down and absorb myself into the story and the people. Once I did, I was in awe of the writing. But I do think this is a book that deserves focused attention as it explores powerful traumatic history.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 after reading and loving THERE THERE in 2023, and to be expected, Tommy Orange delivered!

Just like its predecessor, WANDERING STARS is rich in beautiful character details, immersive writing, and complex storytelling that will, at times, make you uncomfortable, but that’s the point. A big difference is this one feels like it is a more long-form, interconnected story, whereas THERE THERE has a short story/vignette feel, so readers will likely notice that difference in the narrative.

I am so thankful Tommy Orange wrote this follow-up and that I was able to revisit these characters’ stories. It impacted me greatly and will definitely be a book I recommend to fans of literary fiction and Native American studies.

For those who loved the Pulitzer Prize winning There, There, Tommy Orange has just released this follow up novel that takes place in the aftermath of the big Powwow.

The first half of the book goes back in time to the late 1800’s and traces several generations of ancestry that eventually leads us the present day character of Orvil Red Feather. I absolutely loved the first part of the novel.

The second part takes place after Orvil was shot at the Powwow and is heavy in its depiction of inherited trauma, drug addiction and the desire to find one’s identity. The writing is raw and emotional and gritty.

“Assimilation was one of the words they used for Indians becoming white in order to survive, in order that they might not be killed for being Indians.”

Another brutal, moving book from Tommy Orange. It’s been a few years since I’ve read There There, but I remember the feeling of being blown away by the descriptive writing and intense narrative about the Native American experience, with the huge build-up to the powwow at the end.

Wandering Stars is written with the same structure, once again exploring the effects of intergenerational trauma - starting with Jude Star’s escape as a child during the Sand Creek Massacre, to his son Charles being sent to the Carlisle Industrial School and forced to assimilate and give up his Cheyenne roots, to the present day and the struggles of their descendants. At first I thought it would be more about the “school,” but it focuses more on the effects of what it means to be forced to forget who you are and where you come from, and how that manifests most often with mental health issues leading to addiction.

It’s difficult, hard to read, and very important. I really want to go back and reread There There now. A book to take your time with, definitely not a quick easy read but 1000% worth it. If you loved There There as much as I did Wandering Stars is a must read.

Thank you to the publisher AA Knopf and Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Wandering Stars is out now.

I was very excited to get my hands on an early copy of this book having enjoyed Tommy Orange's debut novel. Maybe I talked it up to much in my head, but the experience of reading this book didn't live up to my expectations. Based on the summary I thought there would be more historical elements to it (the Sand Creek Massacre, Carlisle Indian Industrial School) but those parts were so quick and really not explored in depth. The book seemed unbalanced to me -- the first third were some early ancestors in the family, told almost in short stories. It reminded me a bit of Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing in that each generation got a chapter to speak. The last 2/3 of the book focused on the modern times and the characters that were introduced in There There, moving the plot beyond the events of that book. Overall the jumping between generations left me feeling like the book was not super cohesive, and indeed almost felt like two different novels? I just didn't connect with this book as much as There There. There's no doubt the author is gifted with words and can draw out emotion, but the plot elements (or lack thereof?) just left me missing something.

I was very late to the party on There There and have only read it sometime in the last year. It was very good, I did audio, and it really helped me with some of the tough spots.

But this one was more of a struggle for me - and I wished I'd had the audio again. This one starts by giving us a huge family tree. It quick succession, it gives us a huge cast and then windles them down as they die off and a new generation rises up. It was confusing for me, because I kept trying to get attached, only for that character to be done.

Finally, around 40%, we jumped in with the characters. But this is a very heavy story - about surviving an active shooter in a social setting. Not only is there trauma and PTSD, but there is unhealthy coping mechanisms. It was tough to read.

But the story continued to feel disjointed. The sentences were short and choppy and I'm sure I didn't always get the message the author was trying to convey. It was a good read, a very heavy emotional read, but one that I'd wished I'd connected with more than I did.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

4 stars

Tommy Orange is characteristically doing SO MUCH in this novel, not the least of which is getting Portishead stuck in my head for the past many months since the title of this follow up to the absolutely stunning _There There_ was released. Structurally, this is a work of art, and that same element is, I expect, what will alienate some readers from really grasping its magic.

I can't recommend the audio version of this book enough, and I actually delayed my reading of it to have this experience first. The sheer volume of narrators highlights how many different characters are functioning here and how they are all at once inextricably connected and utterly isolated. What unifies them, of course, is a long tradition. What's fascinating about that is how many of them are separated from those roots because of other people's and institutions' actions, and how little agency some of the characters have, even against the backdrop of one of the most fascinating places in modern existence: Oakland.

Now I hella love Oakland (IYKYK), and one of the constant (pleasant!) surprises I get in reading Orange is a nearly palpable awareness of this author's connection to this place, too. Oakland is a glorious melding of cultures, a place in which a constant cultural revolution is brewing, and an opportunity to see gentrification and oppression functioning at their pinnacles. Where else can one set the modern part of a narrative like this?

This is an ambitious text filled with gripping choices, and it requires work - intellectually and emotionally - from readers. That work is worth it. I can't wait to read this several more times. I know I'll get more out of it with each effort. Is this going to be for everyone? No. It's definitely for me, though, and I'm already - selfishly - hoping that Tommy Orange is running a finger along a bay windowsill, listening to someone laughing way too loudly at this late hour, and thinking about where his characters are going next. I'll be there eagerly anticipating the answers.

Another win for Tommy Orange! Incredible. The second novel by one of my now favorite authors is a follow up to his debut novel, “There There.” It delves into the past and begins with the introduction of Jude Star. Star is a survivor of the Sandy Creek Massacre of 1864. It then moves forward to his son’s experience in 1924 with a focus on the Carlisle Indian School. Both of which are horrible parts of American history. It is a story told through multiple points of view following generations which eventually tie into his previous novel. It is beautifully written and discusses many topics which plague the Native community. Most importantly I believe overcoming generational trauma. I feel as though painful as the past may be this should be required reading. It has impacted my mind and my heart. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I was so excited to be able to read this advanced reader’s copy and am happy still that I had pre-ordered a signed copy. I highly recommend this amazing work of art!

In There, There we follow along in the lives of multiple people (I hate calling them characters because they are written with incredible realism) who are interconnected in ways that some of them may never realize, as they prepare for a Powwow in Oakland, California. In Wandering Stars we are provided both a prequel and a sequel to the events that culminated at the end of There, There. We are given the origin story for the generational trauma that weaves through the lives or Opal, Jacquie and their three grandsons. What happened to Star at the Sand Creek Massacre was barely a drop in the bucket for everything the family has endured over the years, and with Orvil having survived the Big Powwow, maybe through him and his brothers, the enduring will end and the living will begin.

I reread There, There in preparation for the release of this book. I wanted to remember everything, and I am glad I did. Once you get through the "Before" of Wandering Stars, you are just kind of dropped into the aftermath of There, There (which is the title of that section of the book) without much context provided except for the viewpoints of all the generations before Opal, Jacquie, Orvil, Lony, and Loother. Star's story was incredibly hard for me to get through. You are given a peek at the atrocities committed against the Indigenous Americans and it comes with a warning... This is not over. What has been done, will continue to happen without changes within humanity as a whole.

In There, There we saw the time on Alcatraz through Jacquie and Opals eyes, but in Wandering Stars we are able to view the experience through their mother and in that we get a better understanding of the girls as they moved into womanhood and how their lives led them in such separate directions. Throughout the "Aftermath" there's this sense of suspense that is intwined with these moments of hope. Like the entire family is waiting for something, some other event to occur before any one of them can move on from the events of There, There.

Honestly, this book left me with a lot of feelings and thoughts that I don't really know what to do with. There, There was heavy but Wandering Stars is brutal in the fact that many of the events tie into things happening in the world today. I think this is one that I will be ruminating on for a long time to come. It feels wrong to rate a book that feels so close to what reality is for many, so I won't. I will just say that if you enjoyed There, There, if you have an appreciation for fiction that feels like non-fiction, then Wandering Stars is a book for you. I definitely think that both books would be tremendous educational reading for those in high school and above.

3.5 stars rounded up. This is a beautifully written book that tackles some deep themes--addiction in Native American communities and the intergerational impact of violence. I found it was unevenly paced and difficult to get through at times, but if you liked There There it's worth reading this. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Legendary, innovative, visionary. A must read. Tommy Orange is so masterful… weaving history, fiction, magical realism, this searing portrayal of the blood on our nation’s hands against indigenous people will haunt you forever.

I have just finished this book just barely before publishing day is over. Tommy Orange weaves a tale of a Native American family’s lineage as they battle against identity and addiction. There was a helpful family tree that helped you keep track of each of the characters, which I greatly appreciate.

I think this was a very ambitious book in trying to write a tale that encompasses so many generations of the Star family. Orange lets you take a peak in each life as the addiction grabs hold of each new generation and generational trauma of cultural genocide of indigenous culture. Although some family members meet tragic ends, the author makes the reader reflect on their own cultural identity and past.

Wandering Stars is a story of a family’s struggle with addiction and brings to light how the past can haunt our present. It’s a wake up call to tell us to look deep inside ourselves and to our ancestors. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you to Knopf, Tommy Orange and Net Galley for the ARC

WANDERING STARS is billed as a standalone novel but is functionally both a prequel and sequel to THERE THERE. In the first section of the novel, the ancestors of some of THERE THERE’s core characters witness the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre and suffer under the coercion of Indigenous children to attend the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The second part of the novel picks up immediately after the cataclysmic event that closes THERE THERE to examine its reverberations on the lives of the Bear Shield-Red Feather family, particularly Orvil and Lony.

I appreciate what Orange is trying to do with the multigenerational story arc, especially with how trauma and addiction can propagate. His prose carries the narrative and though the first half felt a bit disjointed, it never lost my interest. The momentum picks up in the second half, and the depiction of addiction—especially in the context of a tight-knit family—really shone. I felt that he nailed the balance of portraying the tough, gritty, overwhelming reality of the legacies of violence and subjugation while leaving open a tiny window for hope at the very end—not hope of an astronomical kind, but hope that maybe the characters can find their way back to one another and muddle through.

Read this one for the writing, and definitely read THERE THERE first (it will make for a more meaningful experience with WANDERING STARS). While the structure of the book isn’t my favorite, the audiobook is narrated by a full cast and is very good. (4.25/5)

Tommy Orange’s new novel, Wandering Stars, is gorgeous. This book traces a family through generations, capturing the history of the American effort to erase Native people through killing and forced assimilation. Throughout each generation there are echoes of the past. Much of the novel returns to characters from There There, spending more time with how the events of the Oakland Powwow rippled through each family member. Orange writes in a way that speaks beyond the story to the world. Addiction weaves throughout this novel and manages to find hope while laying bare the realities of substance use. This novel begs to be read again. The sentences are phenomenal. There is an intention in the structure that I will continue to think through. Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for access to an early egalley.

With There There being one of my all-time favorite books, I was highly anticipating what came next from Tommy Orange. Wandering Stars is a prequel and sequel at once to There There. The first part follows multiple generations of the Red Feather family from 1864 in the aftermath of the Sand Creek Massacre. The second part picks up after the thing that happens in There There and explores the various ways the Red Feather family tries to cope.

Orange’s writing is spectacular from the sentence level. He conveys so much emotion combined with sharp observations. The central theme of Wandering Stars is survival. Surviving oppression, surviving historical trauma, surviving addiction, surviving identity erasure. It’s heartbreaking, emotional (there was definitely some crying while reading this) and so important. Between the two distinct parts and the way the POV shifts, the pacing of this isn’t always perfect but Orange makes up for it with his writing and his characters.

Wandering Stars can be read as a standalone, but There There is so good that I don’t recommend skipping it.
Thank you so much to Knopf for the ARC of this one.

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
There There, Orange’s 2018 debut novel, set a pretty high bar. We were introduced to unforgettable characters, unforgettable circumstances and brought face to face with the plight of the Native American tribes as removal and assimilation were forced upon them by the non-native powers. Wandering Stars gives us more context, by reminding, or teaching, us about the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado. We jump decades, and perspective characters, to revisit the heirs of the survivors, and the continuing issues that Indigenous people continue to struggle with, including the isolating compartmentalization non-indigenous people seem most comfortable with. They are complex issues, complex people, served well by this complex novel. It is not an “easy read,” but meets the challenge of There There. The book releases on February 27, 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for a chance to read and review.

Tommy Orange is just a beautiful writer! Wandering stars is written with perfection. It's definitely not for the weak hearted. This book will easily become a classic in my opinion and will stick with me for years to come. This story is about a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre and what him and his generational family went through in the name of America. If you have not yet read There There by Tommy Orange, I suggest you start there first as you will have a better understanding of this book, Even though it is not considered a sequel. Thank You so much for the wonderful yet heart breaking journey of a book! I look forward to reading more by Tommy Orange!

Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars is an intergenerational epic that ties together, as the description says, a "constellation of narratives." At once gorgeous and devastating, Orange traverses a family history that begins with the Sand Creek Massacre, but nevertheless sings with hope.

Wandering Stars paints an intimate portrait of a national history, highlighting the individual effects of national events that often taught as abstract or impersonal, like residential schools and the occupation of Alcatraz. Orange does not shy away from difficult topics, but does not allow readers to resign themselves to pessimism or pity; though spanning generations, the narrative is forever looking toward the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

On the heels of massive award winner There There, Tommy Orange’s next title is expected to garner similar praise and adoration. But the not-quite-sequel Wandering Stars doesn’t quite deliver on the promise made with his debut novel.

There There introduced readers to a number of characters who made lasting impressions. Orvil, the teenager shot during a powwow in that novel, makes another appearance in the follow-up, alongside his brothers, grandmother, and aunt. But before we’re shown Orvil’s story, the reader is first taken back in time to explore his lineage.

The first third of the novel focuses on Orvil’s great grandfather, Jude Star, a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado. Jude was only a child, and he loses the ability to speak after the carnage witnessed. He and friend Victor Bear Shield are then sent to a reeducation school in Florida in order to “cleanse” them of Indigenous ideas. Jude’s son, Charles, suffers the same fate at a school in Pennsylvania.

The narrative serves to offer a deeper backstory of characters we already know from There There, and the generational trauma that is passed down from the 1860s to the present day. But while that part of the story is beautifully written, it’s hard not to feel confused when reading it: Who are these characters? Why do we care about them? What is this leading to? I felt a present-day chapter or two at the beginning of the book would have served as a useful reminder. As it was, I felt I was missing some of what the backstory was getting at.

Once the story jumps to the present day, I had a much easier time staying in the flow of the story and getting (re)attached to the characters. It was moving to see Orvil, Lony, and Loother’s lives after the powwow shooting, and I appreciated that not only the “victim” had his story told. Addiction is deeply entwined in the family’s history, and Orange writes about it eloquently, including swaths about the feelings of euphoria and relief of being high that I found impactful. Jacquie (the boys’ grandmother) is in recovery, and she and Opal (her sister, who is hiding her own cancer diagnosis) share affecting conversations about life and heritage.

In expected Orange style, the prose itself doesn’t disappoint, and I was moved as early as the prologue: “All too often [they] would be told they weren’t the right kind of Indians to be considered real ones by too many Americans taught in schools their whole lives that the only real kinds of Indians were those long-gone Thanksgiving Indians who loved the pilgrims as if to death.”

Additionally, the boys’ lack of attachment to their Indigenous heritage was a theme that reappeared from There There, and Orange touches on that beautifully: “He will recognize you as Indian and ask where you’re from. The question will throw you at first because you’re from Oakland, so you want to say you’re from here, but you don’t know what here means for a moment, did it mean modern times, did it mean Oakland, did it mean America? And where would you be from if you were a real Indian? Oklahoma? You will know that’s not true, that Indians were from every single corner of the country—beyond the country.”

While I wouldn’t recommend this one as wholeheartedly as There There, the language and topic are still impactful and important, and those who liked the author’s first novel will still find pieces to appreciate here, especially if Wandering Stars is read immediately after.