I was thrilled to be approved for this arc, thanks to NetGalley, and Tommy Orange is now an auto buy for me. Wandering Stars is Orange's second novel, following his amazing debut There There. The Wandering Stars narrative traces generations of one particular family beginning in 1864 following the Sand Creek Massacre and the subsequent forceful re-education of Native people. We follow Jude Star, a mute who already has no voice, that is taken to the Carlisle school in Florida to essentially eradicate his entire sense of identity. The Carlisle school exists to teach Native Americans how to be white and Christian and to forget their culture entirely.
Orange then touches upon each subsequent generation and the horrors that each go through, including poverty, despair, and addiction, until we get to the present where we take up the narrative of the Red Feather family after the shooting that takes place in There There.
We are re-introduced to Opal and Jacquie and the three grandsons, Orvil, Loother, and Lony. Orvil, while recovering from being shot becomes obsessed with internet searches of other mass shootings and finds that he enjoys the feeling he gets from his painkillers. Lony, the youngest, deals with the trauma of almost losing his brother by cutting himself and performing what he thinks are blood sacrifices. Opal is barely keeping herself together as well as the family.
It's a heartbreaking view of each member of this family as they try to survive generations of indignities and injustices, as they each in their own way search for their sense of identity,
community and healing. I highly recommend reading this beautifully written, important work of fiction.

The writing, the character development in this, it's so good. This is completely immersive, and the reader gets such a great sense of the experience of each of these characters over generations. 
*
This is connected to There There, it tells the story of how the characters got to that point over generations, and also what happens next. But it is not necessary to have read that book in advance (and in fact I read that several years ago and didn't realize until now that there was a connection) 
*
This is definitely character driven. It is slow, and while some sections were really compelling other parts I felt less connected to. I think this might have been better served as two novels, since the first part and second part were so different. But it's still definitely worth checking out!

Thank you for the opportunity to read a review copy. Unfortunately, the story wasn't a good fit for me. I had trouble following the plot and characters and decided to DNF at 20%. Reading other reviews, I am clearly an outlier, so this must be a case of "it's not you, it's me."

Both a prequel and a sequel to There There, Tommy Orange has once again taken my breathe away with Wandering Stars. We start with Jude Star, a man that survived the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School to take away everything he ever was. Orange then moves us around in time, taking us through generations, including the aftermath of the shooting at the powwow in There There.

Orange reminds us of Jude 1:13 “They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” He explores this through intergenerational trauma as a consequence of genocide and forced assimilation with language so beautiful and searing.

The build up towards impending doom isn’t here like it was in There There, and I’ve seen some readers not like this. In my opinion, doom isn’t building here, it’s sort of omnipresent. I do think the reader will benefit from having read There There, but it’s not mandatory. Highly recommend checking this when it publishes February 27th. Thank you @aaknopf for this copy!

Take a breath and sit a while.

This one requires pause and reflection.

Wandering Stars will not be for everyone. But the irony of it all is that it should readily be. Tommy Orange's writing style is one of deep-seeded emotions pouring out like a bursting dam almost unstoppable in its telling. How do you give justice to the wrongs inflicted upon a people for hundreds and hundreds of years? It's just not that simple.

Tommy Orange begins with the drawings of Howling Wolf who crafts his art into the visuals of a bird's view soaring from the heights of a continuous blue sky. It is the only way to envision the vastness of this story. One sees all the connectives laid out across the land intermingling with continuous loss and unspeakable acts. And how do you heal from that?

Wandering Stars begins with the massacres at Sand Creek with the depleting numbers of Native Americans, the theft of land, and the annihilation of the buffalo along the way. Tommy Orange continues his story into 2018 following the Star family into wayward movements, addiction, and loss of self-identity. It is the seeping and staining elements of loss destined to visit upon those from generation to generation.

Orange exhibits the impact of the Carlisle Indian School established in 1879 "immersing the Indians in our civilization". Richard Henry Pratt was more jailer than educator. These boarding schools were made up of many tribes, but the students belonged to none. It was the forcing of English followed with beatings. It was the blasting away of a sense of belonging and, even worse, the sense of self.

The Aftermath takes us to 2018 with the more modern Star family stemming from the earlier Jude Star, forced into silence, and Charles Star, "wasted like so much fallen fruit". We'll visit the strength of Opal Viola and then Victoria Bear Shield who worked in a jean factory to support her family. And we'll sit alongside those who chose to anesthetize themselves through whatever means to make the pain go away.......only to sadly rise to meet it the very next day.

Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars validates as to why his previous novel, There There, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Orange has a superb sense of story because he has absolutely lived it.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Alfred A. Knof (Penguin Random House) and to the talented Tommy Orange for the opportunity.

Wandering Stars is a wonderful novel!

I remember being blown away by There There after having read a review copy that me store received. When I found out about Wandering Stars it was a no brainer. I was so looking forward to reading this book.

Wandering Stars was written in two parts. The first half of the book was a family history of the Star and Redfeather family for approximately 200 hundred years. This narrative was extremely interesting and fast paced. I would liken it to family story novels such as The Thorn Birds or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In addition, the historical events depicted were fascinating to read about.

The second half of the book was a little more difficult to follow. The narrative switched points of view unexpectedly, which did make readability of the current family members difficult to follow.

It was really nice to read a book on the Native American experience.

This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for my review copy.

This is so beautifully written and a story that will stay with readers for a very long time. It is my first read by this author and I will definitely be reading more.

A partial sequel to There There, Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars follows the experience of the Bear Shield and Red Feather families as they are traumatized by the oppression and attempted genocide of the indigenous peoples of the United States.

The narrative begins with the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864. The narrator, Jude Star, survives but remains mute for years. After being captured, Star is sent to St. Augustine, Florida where he learns English. After being freed and working wherever he can as a farmhand, Star settles in Oklahoma. He finds his voice after drinking alcohol and recovers from his addiction through religious faith and love. His son Charles, is sent to Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania where he is forced to be American.

Some of the major themes of the book, are the traumas of lost community, ways of knowing and family and the struggles of survival or emotional recovery in the face of escapist addictions. After the first section, we follow the two families from the 1920s to the 1960s occupation of Alcatraz.

The narrative then picks up where There There left off, centered on Orvil Red Feather's recovery from the ending of the powwow and his family as they try to continue to live in where they are often not assumed to exist.

While the cast is smaller, their voices are stronger. We see events from the perspective of the oppressors, such as Richard Henry Pratt (superintendent of the Carlisle School), but mostly the voices of Native American survivors as they live their lives, sometimes aware of the vacuum of their losses other times trying to rebuild knowledge and practices nearly lost.

Recommended for readers of American History or contemporary writing.

The Gist: Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange is a story that explores the difficult and traumatic history that Native Americans have faced for centuries in the United States. The novel starts with the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and continues through the present day. It weaves together the stories of many different characters who struggle with the repercussions of colonialism, forced assimilation, and intergenerational trauma.

Things I loved:
- This story handled topics that are difficult, but important to read about. Tommy Orange's writing is beautiful and engaging
- This is an important piece of literature that helped me understand and empathize with people who have endured, and continue to endure, these struggles and hardships

Things I Didn't Love:
- The multiple POV's were great, but made the storylines a little difficult to follow at times

This is very different from the types of novels I typically read, but I am so glad I decided to give it a try! It's a story that will stick with me for years to come.

This should have been two distinct books. When the story starts back in the early 1900s, I wanted more. I wanted the type of character development we got both in <i>There There</i> and later in this book. I recognize they were provided as a reference for the generational trauma the current characters are facing, but I still wanted more of them. When we do get the present, we find the three brothers Loother, Lony, and Orvil all dealing with Orvil's shooting in different ways. This is where the author is strongest. He shows us how each one has deeply internalized the situation in their own unique way, impacted by past and present forces. And while the catalyzing event took place in <i>There There</i> it isn't necessary to have read it to understand everything this book is offering. (But I do strongly recommend reading it too!) These characters will continue to remain with me.

I've been looking forward to reading this book since I read There, There, so there were some big expectations here, and Tommy Orange did not disappoint. In what is a mix of before and after the events of There, There we learn much more about Orvil Red Feather's family.

The book starts with the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and Jude Star. It follows how his life and the lives of his family all the way until we get to Orvil after the Powwow at the end of There, There. We see trauma after trauma, from the Massacre, to a prison camp, to the eradication of Cheyenne culture in the boarding schools, and drug and alcohol addiction as a form of self medication for depression and PTSD.

First off, this is far from a light read as you can tell from the previous paragraph. I did like that we got more insight into the Star/Bear Shield/Red Feather families. There's a family tree in the front and I suggest that you bookmark that page so you can refer back to it. I really enjoy Orange's writing style and how he got us into the mind of each character as they struggle to survive amidst a myriad of wrongs committed against them, while also letting us see their hopes and desires, their search for identity and where they belong in the world. You don't necessarily have to read There, There before reading this, but I would suggest it. I will be eagerly waiting for what Tommy Orange writes next!

My thanks to Knopf, author Tommy Orange, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I was obsessed with There There by Tommy Orange back when it came out in 2018, so I was so excited when I learned that Wandering Stars was being released. It was so great getting background chapters on earlier members in the Bear Shield/Red Feather family. And also getting to see more of the aftermath and evolution that came after the events of the Big Oakland Powwow.

Throughout the multi-generational story, topics such as historical massacres, Native kids being sent to boarding schools to eradicate their culture and language, addiction, PTSD, and trying to reconnect with Native heritage are touched upon within the book.

Wandering Stars is great, however I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as There There. I didn’t feel the same urgency I did when reading the first book, having the story built around everyone getting to the Big Oakland Powwow at the end gave the story a bit more structure. With this book I couldn’t really tell where it was ultimately going, it just felt like being along for the ride of the characters’ lives. And I do love the characters, so it did work for me. But it just didn’t have that 5 star feeling.

Definitely pick this one up if you were a fan of There There. It’s so great to be able to see more of the characters after the end of the first book. And to learn more about their family’s history. Tommy Orange’s writing is so impactful, I’m really interested to see what he comes out with next.

History repeats itself again and again. Ignorance of past truths has a clear role in the repetition of humanity’s most egregious atrocities. The truth of the massacre, atrocities and genocide of Native Americans by European settlers was never taught to me in school so I relish the opportunity to read about what actually occurred in my homeland before my ancestors stepped foot on American soil - and continues still.

Wandering Stars follows the tale told in Tommy Orange’s Pulitzer contender, There There. It goes back even further in history to chronicle the Sand Creek Massacre ( 1864) and the horrors and legacy of Marion Prison Castle. The attempt by white conquerors to wipe out the heritage of Indians ( as Orange refers to indigenous people) in schools designed to remake their identity to conform to white society is heartbreaking. This is a generational story from those early days until current times. There are a substantial numbers of characters in each era and sometimes it takes some work to follow them all. But it’s worth it.

Orange is a very talented writer. Much of this book is written as a train of thought without complete punctuation. This technique allows the reader to enter the minds and absorb the thoughts and feelings of particular characters. Abandonment, death, search for a lost heritage , the bond of family, and the scourge of various addictions such as alcohol, drugs and even on line games, are described with a scrupulous blunt honesty that only a very talented author can bring to life on a page.

Important, compelling and educational, Wandering Stars is not for readers interested in a piece of fluff or a quick read. Instead it radiates with truths, disturbing as they are, in a time when truth is a rare and valuable commodity. Four well earned stars for a piece of historical fiction that I will not forget. Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an unbiased review. Publication date is February 27, 2024.

Wandering Stars
By Tommy Orange

Both a sequel and a prequel to There There, Wandering Stars is the story of four successive generations of the Red Feather family, starting in 1864 with Jude Star, a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre. Wandering Stars is a searing portrayal of family and survival, colonization and forced assimilation, abandonment and loss, generational trauma and addiction. On it’s deepest level, it is about legacy, the story of souls searching for an understanding of self, of a culture which has survived despite the many destructive forces that have attempted to eradicate it, of the power of tradition to take one away and into, and provide the spiritual sustenance to come out “better made.”

Who hasn’t asked themselves, Why? Why me? Or how did I get here? following a traumatic event. These questions are at the heart of Wandering Stars. Like a brilliant constellation, each Star a part of a whole, asking where did it all begin? And how do I make myself whole again?


“In the dream he didn’t know when the line would come that would knock him over and end his life. He knew that being knocked over meant that, and that the line was his family line, that something had begun long before he was born that was coming to knock him down, but that this was true of everyone, each family line falling down on top of the living when they die, all that they couldn’t carry, couldn’t resolve, couldn’t figure out, with all their weight.”

If you’re ready to have your heart pierced and shine with hope, read Wandering Stars.


Many thanks to the author Tommy Orange, @Knopf and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"It is a sad thing to let go of. That everything leaves. But life has too many seasons to get caught up about one of them. And other seasons return."

In this quasi-sequel but not really a sequel to There There, we primarily follow one family - the Stars/Bear Shields/Red Feathers. The narrative opens immediately following the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, as the reader learns that young Jude Star suddenly has no family and no home and must figure out how to survive. As the story progresses, we learn about the lives, trials, and tribulations of Star's offspring and his offsprings' offspring and his offsprings' offsprings' offspring (etc.) until we land on Orvil Red Feather, a teen who was shot at a powwow in California in 2018. While Wandering Stars follows a plethora of characters, the same central themes of drug addiction, struggling to survive, and hope for the future.

While I thoroughly enjoyed There There (I rated it 4 stars as well), I'd say Wandering Stars is definitely a step up. Stars follows fewer characters and in more depth, making it easier as the reader to keep track of everyone. The addition of the family tree at the beginning was definitely helpful - I referred back to it a number of times as I read this tale. Orange's writing style and ability to capture the innermost thoughts of his characters is one of the highlights of this book - just as with There There.

While the first half of the book was enjoyable, it didn't grab me like the last half did. Orange doesn't describe the first three or so generations of characters in enough depth to make me really care that much about them. I believe this was a deliberate stylistic choice, as when the novel focuses on Orvil and his immediate family, I was sucked in. It felt like Orange was telling his readers that Orvil was the main focus of the novel, and everything up to the point where he enters the narrative is just back story. While I understand why he chose to write the book in this manner, for me, having half of the book be quite meh doesn't make up for the half that was exceptional.

I am thankful this book was written and I am glad I have read it but I also could not wait to finish it. Wandering Stars addresses the horrific treatment of Native Americans in the United States and the generational impact of trauma and addiction. It is also about family and belonging. It is not an easy read but it is an extremely important one.

I just finished this book from a NetGalley copy. I am in complete awe of this follow up to There, there by Tommy Orange. He has done it again and put out a book that is truly original and tells a story that is much needed. On of family, trauma, guilt, shame, self, others, love, friendship, relationships and life and has done it in 249 pages. Each page is full of spirit, emotion and life. I can’t tell you any other way than to just get these books and read them. I am a huge fan of Tommy Orange and will be for as long as I am alive.

The Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange is an emotional history of the Sand Creek Massacre and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. I was particularly interested in reading this book because my family has connections to the Carlisle Indian School and I have visited the cemetery and wondered about the children who are buried there. This book brought the anguishing story to life.

I didn't realize that The Wandering Stars is a follow-up to Orange's best-selling There, There when I read it. I think I would have appreciated it even more if I had read the first book, but it also stands on its own as a moving testament to resilience in the face of generational trauma.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wandering Stars made me want to immediately reread There There, which I first read in 2020. I found this to be beautiful and devastating in equal measure. Tommy Orange was somehow able to give a sense of hopefulness while describing one heartbreaking tragedy after another. I appreciated the thoughtful way in which the difficult subjects of addiction, generational trauma, mental health, and structural violence were handled. I feel certain this will remain one of my most liked books of the year.

Wandering Stars shares the gritty light of life's unextinguished glow emanating from the souls of this family of stand alone everyday people.throughout their lives and times. Generational trauma and residual pain from the gutting of their ancestral identity has left a bottomless hole in each of the hearts of Tommy Orange's characters. These are Orange's stories of those lives; living with those holes as they are waiting to be filled. A charmed attraction to his literary mastery and relatable world building will pull you through the hurt of this family's stories of survival. For each he shares a unique ability to cling to each other when they can, and to celebrate each other in the best of times and to hold on with or without each other when the times are hard. A literary song of poetic pain that brings you down with it as it goes deep. I came back with the gift of a new ache of knowing.