This book is a continuation of There, There. Readers see familiar characters who continue to navigate their lives amid their harsh realities. The book points out the harshness that native people in today's world.

Picking up from the ending of There, There, a young man has to heal from his wounds, both physically and spiritually. After the shooting at the Pow Wow, he is left with wounds that look like stars. We then travel back in time, where his perseverance and survival match the story of his people.

We find people who are constantly tested by history. The intent to eradicate the Indigenous people of the United States has a long history. Orange shares story after story. In some of these stories, it would seem like a bloodline would be lost, yet it still exists. The continuing to exist is the fight.

“Citizenship being granted will be a kind of victory too because you will not have died in any of the wars or massacres, you will have survived starvation and relocation, indoctrination and assimilation, you will have lasted long enough that they had to say that you too, our longtime, once mortal enemy, even you are one of us, even if its meaning, its rights, won’t come for decades, the seed will have begun there, in the year you were born.”

The book reminded me a great deal of Council of Dolls, which came out last year. I enjoyed the back-and-forth between the struggles of the present and the struggles of the past. It seems there is never freedom from struggle, but that struggle shows a people still alive and moving into the future despite these odds. This is the victory.

Favorite Passages:

“All the Indian children who were ever Indian children never stopped being Indian children, and went on to have not nits but Indian children, whose Indian children went on to have Indian children, whose Indian children became American Indians, whose American Indian children became Native Americans, whose Native American children would call themselves Natives, or Indigenous, or NDNS, or the names of their sovereign nations, or the names of their tribes, and all too often 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.”

“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. You will have read about hundreds of tribes, each with their own languages and customs and creation stories. You will want to tell him that you are Cheyenne, that that is where you are from, that Cheyennes once, up near the Great Lakes, were agricultural people, and then followed the buffalo before running for their lives like the buffalo, and that your people, they were Cheyenne wherever they went, but instead you just say the word Cheyenne, with your hand over your heart, to which he will say the word Lakota with his hand over his heart. You will laugh at each other’s hand-to-heart gestures.”

“Citizenship being granted will be a kind of victory too, because you will not have died in any of the wars or massacres, you will have survived starvation and relocation, indoctrination and assimilation, you will have lasted long enough that they had to say that you too, our longtime, once mortal enemy, even you are one of us, even if its meaning, its rights, won’t come for decades, the seed will have begun there, in the year you were born.”

“white people who want so bad to be on the right side of history they forget they’re inevitably on the white side of history.”

“I’m being asked to understand that with some people you love, they just won’t end up being a part of your life. I’m being asked a question that it seems I can answer only by living.”

Wandering Stars is a sweeping, multi-generational novel that delves into the deeply complicated history of Native American families in the United States. The story begins with the tragic Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and moves through time to the present day. Some themes this book explores is the long-lasting impact of displacement, cultural erasure, and intergenerational trauma. The novel weaves together the lives of various characters, each grappling with the weight of their heritage and the scars of historical violence.

While the book is undeniably rich in content and historical significance, it wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I initially started with the e-book, but eventually switched to the audiobook in an effort to finish it. The narrative was complex and at times difficult to follow, especially with the large cast of characters and the jumping between different time periods. However, I can see how fans of historical fiction, particularly those interested in Native American history, would appreciate the depth and the important stories that Wandering Stars brings to light.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book!

A perfectly average novel. I found it to be overly explanatory and descriptive, and I feel like Orange is a very straight male writer. Not in a toxic way, but I feel like he is interested in very straight man things or at least talks about them in a very straight man way.

I also understand thematically why they’re there, but I don’t think the early generations were fully necessary for the plot

I do think that There There is objectively better. There’s a kind of visceral tension driven by the explosive ending that keeps There There humming in a way that Wandering Stars does not

I also think Orange’s writing works best in the narrative non fiction pieces that start the books and that lead the parts in There There, and I almost wish he’d write an artfully constructed work of nonfiction instead

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange is a poignant and powerful follow-up to There There. The novel delves into the intergenerational trauma experienced by the Bear Shield-Red Feather family, while also continuing the stories of characters from the previous book. With its searing exploration of the consequences of colonization and systemic oppression, Orange intricately weaves together past and present narratives of Native American survival, loss, and resilience.

The book begins with Jude Star’s story, set against the backdrop of the Sand Creek Massacre, moving through historical atrocities and leading up to the contemporary struggles faced by his descendants, including violence, addiction, and the weight of their fractured identities. Orange’s storytelling is both tender and harrowing, with moments of dark humor that balance the heavy themes. The novel’s pacing is deliberate, mirroring the fragmented lives of its characters who navigate the aftershocks of genocide while trying to reclaim their heritage.

Tommy Orange has a unique voice and narrative style that did not disappoint!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This was so beautifully written and at times hard to read but also a very important story. I enjoyd the multiple points of view and the multigenerational stories of the native experience. This book covers so much history, trauma and important culture. This was excellent storytelling and I think it is deserving of the Booker prize.

*Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Wandering Stars" by Tommy Orange.

While I struggled to get into "There, There," the author's previous book, I did enjoy "Wandering Stars." The novel touches on a variety of themes, including the life and reality of American Indians, as well as cultural identity and addiction. Another reviewer summed up my feelings about the book quite well when they said, "The story is beautifully written; there were multiple phrases that made me stop and think. [...] but it feels like a scattergun approach, snippets of stories rather than a rock solid plot." All in all, it didn't feel cohesive enough to me, and despite the beautiful writing, there were spots that lost my interest completely. Maybe this book would have resonated more for me if I had actually read "There, There" in its entirety, but sadly, I could never get past the first chapter of that one.

DNF at 17%. This just wasn’t for me. While I normally love a multigenerational family saga, I do also expect a plot—not merely a wandering look at life passing by.

This is definitely literary fiction, and the author uses beautiful prose and melodic writing. For me, there were too many characters’ POV’s and way too much introspection by some of them—to the exclusion of activity or any action. I wish I could have gotten into this—I really do think the author has a lot of valuable prose to share.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows some of the main characters from There, There in the aftermath of the book. It also follows a family line as they experience and cope with trauma, joy, and life. I'm going to put this here now: trigger warnings for addiction (alcohol, drugs), racism, residential schools, self harm, cancer, death of a parent (mentioned).

I really liked the themes of recovery and coping that this book explored. I also really liked the writing style of the book. I learned so much more about Native history.

Loved this. I really enjoyed everything about this. I loved the story completely. It will stay with me for a long time. I appreciate that the author has very strong voice - one I really enjoy. Heartbreaking.

I loved this but was confused as I feel like the background from the first book wasn’t fleshed out enough in this one. I love the lineage and explanation of how native history is erased.

Went into this completely blind, not knowing really what it was about. I learned so much about the Indigenous American experience. While it was difficult to digest at times, its so important to educate yourself. I will have to go back and read this authors other books.

I love Tommy Orange, and this was a wonderful follow-up to There, There. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Tommy Orange once again delivers a powerful and evocative story in Wandering Stars, highlighting the complexities and heartbreak of Native experiences. I wanted to spend more time with the early chapters, which delve into five generations of the Redfeather family, and left me wishing for even more depth to these historical segments.

The second half, set after the events of There There, addresses more familiar themes of addiction and recovery. Orange’s talent for presenting a variety of authentic voices kept the narrative fresh and engaging. Having read There There first might provide additional context, but Wandering Stars absolutely stands strongly on its own as a poignant and thought-provoking read.

This was such an interesting novel! It read at first like short stories, then the characters were connected. It's important for me to read about the experiences of modern-day Native Americans and own voices, so I really appreciate the novel for that.

What a stunning prequel from Tommy Orange. I liked it even better than There There. Wandering Stars gives the backstory of the characters in There, Tehre but you don’t need to have read it before reading this. Tommy Orange’s writing really shines through here as he flashes these characters out. This time I fell in love with them and felt their heartaches acutely. I read this right after reading Betty, just by coincidence and if you loved one, I recommend the other.

This was great, another excellent book from Tommy Orange! As a Native american myself, I find Tommy Orange's stories about the struggles and experiences native americans face in the modern world to be excellent representations of reality, I know many who have had experiences in the same vein.

Tommy Orange's writing is beautiful and cutting, he manages to convey the realities of natives and their situations and perspectives while still writing something truly stunning and poignant. The juxtaposition between the devastating subject matter and the exquisite writing makes it all the more wonderous. This book will break your heart into a million pieces, and I cannot wait for another book from Tommy.

This book was a difficult read for me. It felt like a title that needed to be written, and needed to be read, but rather than be a number of different characters, it felt like all of the characters had the same thought patterns and the same motivations and ways of thinking. It was a book driven by a statement that the author needed to make, not driven by plot or character, and that really showed in a number of places. I was glad to have read this book, but it was a long book, and I was also glad when it was over.

While this is a follow-up to There, There, I would not call it a sequel and you could read them in any order.

Tommy Orange again delves into the lives of modern Native Americans and their inherited trauma. The present and past are woven together as we see the loss of innocence and idealism and the drive to carry on. Beautifully written.