"Wandering Stars" by Tommy Orange is a multigenerational saga that delves into the story of a Cheyenne family grappling with many forms of trauma, institutional violence, addiction, and the erasure of Native history. Through a series of interconnected narratives, the novel explores the complexities of family ties and the enduring impact of historical trauma on Native communities. While the book is incredibly impactful and sheds light on important history, some readers may find it challenging to emotionally connect with the characters due to its format, which reads more like a collection of short stories from various perspectives. Despite this, "Wandering Stars" is a beautifully written, powerful and moving portrayal of resilience in the face of adversity and I would thoroughly recommend it.

A few years ago, I read There, There, the author's amazing debut about 12 Native Americans struggling with their identities and their journeys to the Oakland powwow. It was a book that opened up my eyes to the modern-day plight of Native Americans. In Wandering Stars he revisits these characters and their predecessors, offering a little history as well as the aftermath of the powwow. You don't have to have read There, There to read this one but it would help provide context. Even though I knew the backstory, I found the first half of this book a little hard to follow. I was fascinated and heartbroken by the telling of the attempts to colonize the native people and children. The story shifts to the present, following the ancestors as they cope with modern day pressures. The author's prose is just beautiful and he does a good job of providing history lessons in the format of a novel.

This is a generational story of a Native American Family. A story of trauma, pain but also of the beautiful resilience dealing with the consequences and impact to people due to tragic history. It is written beautifully and honestly, telling the stories of this family and their pain, losses, struggles but also of their love, strength and connections to each other. Tommy Orange is masterful in his writing, with a style that is poetic and lyrical, which is truly a gift as a reader. Although it is a difficult read, I felt connected to the characters and their stories, along with knowing that this book is a work of art. This book, the stories of this family is a needed read by all of us to understand the history and experiences of the Native American people. I had not read the author's previous book, There There but after finishing reading this, I am looking forward to experiencing another beautifully written and important piece of American Literature.
Thank you #NetGalley and #Knopf for the opportunity to read this.

I cannot give this book anything less than 5 stars! The beginning took me a while to hook me and it took a lot more sittings than I’d like to really get into it. But Orange’s prose really has this way of pulling me in and drawing me into the story. I loved the history of the genealogy as heartbreaking as it was to see addiction become this generational thing. Opal’s reflections near the end of the book really struck me - so poignant. I felt like Jacquie needed her own chapter as well - she kinda got gypped out of the story? I think I may love this book more than I did THERE THERE. I loved the observation Sean Price makes about being performative woke - the contrast he draws with Oakland Lee’s preso was so well-done. Lots of reflections in this book about what it means to be Native and what it means to have been disenfranchised for so many generations despite being on this land and of this land first. Also I love Orange setting the whole book in Oakland. I’m new to Oakland and often feel like an imposter and gentrifier…I do love it here but am also trying to isolate if it’s the gentrification I enjoy or if I truly love the roots and what Oakland has stood for all these years. What has Oakland done to give recognition to the Ohlone? What have I done to give recognition to the people who lived on this land first?

Tommy Orange's 2018 novel There, There added a significant voice to the body of literature written by Native American authors. And now, in 2024, he continues to build upon that body of work in Wandering Stars. The book begins in the aftermath of the horrendous Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 Colorado where a village of Native Americans are slaughtered by the U.S. Army in a surprise dawn attack. We follow one of the survivors, who is taken as a prisoner of war to Florida. The book continues through four generations of family history until arriving in 2018 Oakland/San Francisco, where the circle of distant relatives from There, There is brought to completion.

I found Orange's somewhat experimental and varying narratives quite difficult to follow and a distraction to the overall flow of the story. But I can also see how this may have been intentional on his part. I also think it would have been helpful to at least have revisited There, There, if only to familiarize myself with the characters that inhabit both books. I felt a bit lost for a time trying to recall the people from his first novel.

The themes in Wandering Stars include addiction (drug and alcohol), domestic violence, family dysfunction, generational trauma, PTSD, and grief. It is not an easy read in that regard so sensitive readers need to be aware before venturing into the novel.

Overall, this was a good, but not great, reading experience for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a digital ARC in return for an honest opinion and review.

#WanderingStars #Netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading "There, There" by Tommy Orange, I was looking forward to his newest novel, "Wandering Stars." "Wandering Stars" is both a prequel and a sequel to his previous book. The prequel section of the book begins in 1864 during the Sand Creek Massacre. The story then progresses through generations until it picks up where "There There" left off. The novel follows multiple characters and their trials and tribulations.

For me, I didn't feel as much of a connection to the characters in this novel as I did in Orange's first novel. There was something lacking. I found that the chapters and character's stories seemed to be extremely wordy, without saving much. The structure of this novel was unorganized and I found that there was very little plot to follow.

I understand what the author was trying to do in terms of showing how Native Americans have been treated throughout history, as well as how that treatment impacted their lives. I think it's an extremely important story to tell, but this retelling didn't hit the mark for me.

A powerful depiction of intergenerational trauma. Tommy Orange sets his latest novel in the devastating landscape of history when schools were turned into houses of eradication of culture. Beautifully written and thought provoking. An important message

Stunning, brilliant storytelling. The epitome of "show, don't tell" type of writing. Orange explores intergenerational trauma, addiction, and the impact of history, all through a story I couldn't put down.

Wandering Stars is both a prequel and a sequel to Tommy Orange’s fabulous debut novel from 2018, There There. Jude Star survives the Sand Creek Massacre and is then sent to the Carlisle Industrial School, one of many schools that forced Native Americans to assimilate by denying them access to their language and culture. Like in There There, the story is told through different viewpoints, primarily those of Jude’s family members but also that of a teacher at the Industrial School. Eventually the story switches to 2018 and picks up where There There left off, after the shooting at the powwow. The reader learns more about Orvil Red Feather and his family, and how addiction and isolation from one’s culture reverberates through the generations. Orvil’s recovery is complicated by a new friend and easy access to painkillers, while the effects of Orvil’s trauma are felt by his brother Loother and Lony, as well as his grandma Jacqui and his great-aunt (and guardian) Opal. Each of these characters struggle as they try to move forward.

I loved There There so much that I knew it would be difficult to give this book a fair review. While I did not enjoy it quite as much as There There, I am glad I read it and really loved a lot about it. The historical part of the novel was a bit difficult to read, as Orange plays around with the tenses. It is an interesting way of writing and it does make sense from a structural standpoint, but I found that I had to closely focus (and occasionally reread passages) to understand exactly what was happening. Once the novel switched to 2018, I enjoyed it much more. Tommy Orange is a master at writing about contemporary Oakland, and in that sense Wandering Stars did not disappoint. I loved reading more about the Red Feather family and was heavily invested in each of its characters. I wouldn’t mind if he wrote a third book about them!

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

I was excited to hear that Tommy Orange was releasing a new book in 2024 after reading his debut novel, THERE, THERE, in 2019. I enjoyed THERE, THERE but wasn't wowed. I thought WANDERING STARS was a much more cohesive book; the characters weren't exactly developed in a lot of detail, but their personalities were somehow still clear to me, and their inner monologues, emotional pain, etc., felt sincere.

WANDERING STARS follows multiple generations of a family navigating their Native American heritage and identity, individual and generational traumas, and addiction. Opal, one of the grandmothers, tries desperately to keep her family stable and together through it all as the poverty and addictions of the generations before her continue to follow the family. It can get a little difficult to follow all of the POVs—some in first-person and others in third—but the story is beautifully written, heartbreaking at parts, and an important historical analysis tackling the impact of boarding schools, colonization, and more on Native American bloodlines.

*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

"I thought maybe there was some looped aspect to people partying at the lake, then ending up at the rehab at the lake, then relapsing and partying again on the lake like some hell in paradise or paradise in hell. That's what addiction had always felt like, like the best little thing you'd forget on the worst day possible, or the worst big thing on a day in a life you thought kept getting better because you kept getting high."

Wandering Stars is not a BIG book in terms of pages (336) but HUGE in what it contains. I have not read There There and plan on making time to do so after reading this powerful book. Tommy Orange's writing is quite beautiful while detailing and describing horrible injustices against Native Americans.

Colorado, 1864

Star has survived the Sand Creek Massacre and is taken to the Fort Marion Prison Castle, where they are hellbent on removing his identity and culture through violence and barbaric treatment. He is made to learn English and convert to Christianity. Years later Star's son, Charles, will be sent to the same place and will be brutalized by the man who once brutalized his father. There he will meet Opal.

Oakland, 2018

Opal is coping with all that has happened and all that is currently happening in her life and to those she loves by experimenting with drugs.

This book touches on several horrific things that occurred to Native Americans. The things discussed are on a drop in the bucket of injustices, harms, abuses, eradication, and violence that has been committed against Native Americans. I appreciate the author for giving voice to them. I am a firm believer that we should never shy away from things that make us uncomfortable. It is how we learn, how we grow, how we are educated, how we learn empathy, and how we gain insight. The atrocities against Native Americans have included cultural devastation, assimilation, violence, loss of land, abuse, forced relocation, discrimination, removal of children, and death to name a few.

The Sand Creek Massacre, Fort Marion Prison Castle, and drug/alcohol abuses are mentioned in this book. There is not only physical trauma, emotional trauma, but family trauma and cultural trauma detailed as well. These are shown through the POV's of several characters.

This family saga was well written, gripping, and hard to read at times. It has me wanting to read the author's previous book. I found myself thinking about this book after I finished the last page.

"𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘖𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 1864 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴.”

In order to prepare for for this one, I went back to read There There, a book considered to be one of the best of the year it was published. Wandering Stars continues the story of There There but it also goes back in time to explain how the characters got to that point. Exploring issues of school shootings, addiction, suicide, this is not an easy read. It’s an important work, though, as we need to know this history. This book shows generational trauma but also highlights the love and strength that cross generations from the Red Feather family.

When Ann Patchett spoke at a local event earlier this year, this was one of the titles she said was not to be missed. I agree.

Thank you Knopf for the generosity of a review copy of Wandering Stars and for supporting Tommy Orange's work; the stories of indigenous people need to be amplified and I value books and publishers who are a part of this needed storytelling. I acknowledge as well the PRH influencer program for the audiobook copy and for a powerful multi voice actor audiobook (with diversity in identity among those narrating the book, that's important)

Wandering Stars is a hard read; it should be because the stories aren't meant to be easy to hear and read. Tommy Orange challenges us to listen and sit with this book, it was for me a bit slower in pace as compared to There There (not a criticism) and is a little more abstract or stream of consciousness in writing style. The story though once again weaves together themes and characters into a bigger tapestry of Indigenous identity, the harshness of abuse and suffering endured, recognition of trauma and addiction. and the struggles of persistence in spaces that have been taken away, the struggle for support and recognition of hurt and harm.

I am appreciative of this book in so many ways. Storytelling is an elevated art form with Tommy Orange and I am going to spend time thinking about this book as I did with There There.

An intense, immersive, and important read. While it's not a sequel per se to There There, fans of that novel will be pleased to spend more time with some of the characters and will recognize the themes. Orange is working in areas only now being explored in literature and he's doing it with heart and emotion. This is gorgeously written, which makes it all the more distressing in spots. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend.

This book is so powerful. It's beautifully written. The way he uses language conveys so much about each character's mindset at the moment; you feel the drug-induced haze along with many of the characters from their inner monologue. And while addiction is a big part of the story, it is also an absolutely gutting depiction of erasure and the ways this cultural genocide compounds from generation to generation. Getting a peek into how much personal family history was lost, along with larger Tribal knowledge and physical loss was profound. As the reader, you know more about this family's history and their Tribal ties than any singular character gets to know and it's heartbreaking. It's a standalone book, but there is quite a bit of crossover with events and themes from his first book "There There." This is a must read.

This was a difficult read. After reading Killers of the Flower Moon and now this one, I have a greater understanding of the horrors the indigenous people suffered. As the author stated this is a story about "America's war on its own people". The research is there which will make you feel sorrow and rage for the eradication of a culture.
Starting with 1864, the Sand Creek Massacre survivor, Star, is sent to Fort prison Castle where they all must learn a new identity and culture. The abuse is almost unbearable under the direction of Pratt, a prison guard.
The next generation is Star's son, Charles. He is sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial school with the harsh and brutal treatment by Pratt extended. His only hope is in his friendship with Opal.
The next generation is about Opal's nephews where they experience a school shooting, prescription drugs, self-mutilation and PTSD. It is hard to read about generational abuse and sorrow. While most history books in school now have left out the abuse on Indigenous people, it is important that they know about these stories that have been researched and shared so we don't forget.
The author has gained notoriety and numerous awards for his first book There, There, which I need to look into. Incredible wealth of information in this book that I will not forget anytime soon.
Thank you NetGalley andKnopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

A novel full of beautiful writing and heart-wrenching histories.

Starting in 1864 at the Sand Creek Massacre and following three generations of a Native family subjected to traumatic practices at the hands of those who conquered their people, this is a story that is epic in its scope. It is both the prequel and sequel to author Tommy Orange’s acclaimed novel There There, and a must-read for those who fell in love with the characters of that precursor.
This is not an easy book to read, not only because of the horrific episodes of American history contained within but also for its almost stream-of-conscious style of writing, which I found to ramble a bit. Native tribes have not been treated well by the white people who took control of their lands and their lives. They have endured periods of attempted eradication, have been uprooted from their traditional lands and either sent to prisons like Fort Sill in Florida (as Jude Star in this book experienced) or sent to schools like the notorious Carlisle School which sought to eliminate the Native identity of those who were enrolled there. Ripped away from their families, their culture and their very identities, many turned to the seductive oblivion found in a bottle of liquor or any number of other addictive substances. It makes for painful reading, yet it remains important for all to know the truth of what was done to generations of Native families. Those looking for an uplifting, happily-ever-after tale will not find it here, but those who are willing to put in the time will be rewarded with wonderfully developed characters, amazing imagery and gifted writing. Readers of Louise Erdrich, Michael Dorris and Barbara Kingsolver might also want to give this a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon Vintage, and Anchor for allowing me access to an early copy of Wandering Stars.

WANDERING STARS

I’ve been waiting patiently for another novel from Tommy Orange since THERE THERE, one of my all time favorite novels. I was so grateful for an early copy of WANDERING STARS, a powerful multigenerational story that touches on identity, generational trauma, addiction and survival.

I loved revisiting Orange’s characters and finding out more about their early history, how the family ended up in Oakland, the trauma their ancestors suffered at the Fort Mason prison castle and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and what happens after the Oakland Coliseum powwow. The novel is split into two parts and, personally, I would have preferred to see each part fleshed out into separate and longer books, forming a trilogy about the Stars, the Bear Shields and the Red Feather family. I think there was more to say about their lives, homes, displacement and silences, and I would always love to read another novel by Tommy Orange.

This book has a different tone to it, more somber and less propulsive than THERE THERE, but I appreciated how elements from the lives of Star, later renamed Jude Star, and his son Charles, keep reverberating in the lives of their descendants Opal, Orvil, Loother and Lony. Sometimes the motifs—stars, spiders, flight, blood—feel over-literal, but I appreciated how Orange adapted indigenous traditions, lore and both new and old ceremonies into this imagery. There were more storylines about drug dealing, addiction and recovery than I expected, but I was especially touched by Orvil and Lony’s vulnerability and complicated lives.

The excellent multicast audiobook narration, read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett, MacLeod Andrews, Alma Cuervo, Curtis Michael Holland, Calvin Joyal, Phil Ava, Emmanuel Chumaceiro, Christian Young, and Charley Flyte, really made these characters come alive. Orange’s debut is a tough act to follow, but WANDERING STARS is a thought-provoking, haunting and emotional work well worth reading.

Many thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for the ARC and Penguin Random House Audio for the audiobook.

This book was amazing! It traces a family from a frightening escape from the Sand Creek massacre until the present day. Much like There There, Mr. Orange is able to weave the many threads of people and time and place into a story you won't want to put down.

Tommy Orange knows how to get into a character's feelings in a way I rarely see. You think you're just reading and then, BAM, the feels.

It is a sweeping story, covering more than one hundred years. There is so much tragedy and sadness, but also hope and strength. I like how the author includes historical events; some of which the reader may not know about. And one of my favorite things, we even get to join Opal from There There! I just love it when an author will bring in a character from another book; it's like having a friend visit.

This is not a light book. But it is a great book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tommy Orange has a unique writing style which I embrace. I read this as I wanted to know more about the Native American culture, and it did not disappoint. I read There There so long ago, I really didn't remember much of his first book. Wandering Stars is to be a sequel, but I think it is good as a standalone. It seemed to me to be two books in one. It starts out with a historical perspective in the 1800's with the Star family. The narrative takes you through the generations. The second part dwells on the present day and lives of the Star family and a friend of Orvil who is adopted and is part Native American Indian. While I learned about the struggles of the family and the racism, they incurred I struggled to get through it. Reading about addiction is uncomfortable and I felt it went on too long. It's a multigenerational story and Tommy Orange is a gifted writer, give it a try.