Actual Rating 2.5

Similar to the author’s debut, this is another work of literary fiction that follows many characters and looks at Indigenous peoples in the U.S., from 1864 to present.

I enjoyed how this work was set up, following the same family from the Sand Creek Massacre to the present day. The author did an excellent job keeping the whole thing cohesive with similar things that played out similarly (and differently) over the centuries. This was probably the aspect I enjoyed most. I also liked that the purpose of this work felt like it was to help readers consider the history of Indigenous folks in the U.S. and how they’ve had to endure and overcome hardships many of us don’t often see or consider.

But like the first book by this author, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters. I think it’s in large part due to the writing style. There are so many places where it’s pages and pages of introspection, and some characters’ POVs consisted almost solely of that. I could certainly see why the author chose to tell the story in this way, but it just didn’t work well for me to stay engaged or connected to the characters. Then there was the plot. There wasn’t really a plot and nothing cohesive aside from the family and themes to keep everything together. This isn’t totally unexpected for literary fiction, but in this case, it didn’t work for me.

If you like literary fiction following a family over time that focuses on generational trauma and identity, then you’ll probably like this one. I do recommend reading There, There before this one though, as there is overlap. While I didn’t love it, it was still a good read and I know many other folks loved this one.

WANDERING STARS by Tommy Orange serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the events in THERE THERE. Orange writes that "hiding doesn't always mean hidden away, out of sight, but could mean transformation," and in these pages, we see the complexity and nuance of the struggles in life, with a lens to the experiences of Indians in the United States. 

There is a family saga where addiction, trauma, and illness show the difficulty of existing and yet the beauty of surviving when everything is against you. Society can try so hard to stifle individuals and cultures, and there is a desperation when pieces are missing, but there is a richness when you keep going.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I had a really hard time getting through this one. The narrative wanders (pun intended) and never really came together for me. 2.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy.

I agree with many other reviewers that this is simply a beautiful book! This story is so important and deserves to be out in the world. I am looking forward to reading anything else by Tommy Orange, such wonderful writing and prose.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

Tommy Orange is such an immense talent! Another absolute knockout by him. I don’t want to give away any plot as the element of going in blind made it for me. This was so well written and engaging start to finish.

This time around, I thought the shifts in perspective halted and stalled the narrative momentum a little too often. And, while the latter half of the book delves deeply into the cycles of addiction, these sections began to feel repetitive without adding to or compounding the lessons of the preceding chapters.

But there is beautiful and poignant writing throughout this book, especially Chapter 3, "A Son," which I will return to often for how well it describes Jude Star's seemingly overnight transformation from adolescence into manhood. An excellent example of how to write a compelling chapter in a novel that is character-driven. And while the narrative doesn't pick up from the events of "There There" until halfway into the book, I thought Orange's immersive exploration into Native history was patient and well-delivered. His style is crisp and self-aware and I'm glad to have finally read this one; I'm excited to read his future work.

I read “Wandering Stars” immediately after reading its predecessor novel, “There There,” a Pulitzer Prize finalist and widely regarded book by then first time author Tommy Orange. “Wandering Stars” is Mr. Orange’s follow-up story to “There There” and is written in a similar, non traditional style. Each chapter uses a different voice, sometimes telling the story from a character’s first person point of view, describing their own experiences and feelings, while other chapters are written in the third person, discussing the character’s actions and feelings. At some points the story even is told in the form of a letter or as one character’s effort to write his story for posterity in the form of a book.

“Wandering Stars” is, in some ways, a prequel to “There There,” providing a broad understanding of the Sand Creek Massacre of Native Americans in 1864, the subsequent founding of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School where Indian children were forcibly removed from their families and subjected to extreme efforts to eradicate their heritage and placed in white families for adoption. After this, the novel turns into a sequel, following the lives of the characters first introduced in “There There.”

At times it’s difficult to ascertain which character is speaking, as the dialogue between characters blend together without identifying who is saying what to whom, and the chapters often are not logically or chronologically related. In the end, however, it doesn’t matter, because the impact of the book as a whole is overwhelming powerful. It’s a devastating indictment of the way white, European settlers treated the original inhabitants of this land we currently live on and the horrible effect this history continues to have on subsequent generations of Native Americans, only recently starting to be acknowledged and, in very minor ways, attempting to be rectified.

I received a free advanced copy of “Wandering Stars” by NetGalley, author Tommy Orange, and his publisher, Knopf, for which I am extremely grateful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, particularly after just finishing “There There.” My review of “Wandering Stars” is given entirely VOLUNTARILY.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's digital copy (ARC) of "Wandering Stars: A Novel" by Tommy Orange. "Wandering Stars" is a follow-up to "There, There," which I truly enjoyed. Thank you, Mr. Orange, for continuing the saga of Orville and his family and explaining how the violence at the Pow-Wow at the end of the novel "There, There" impacted them.

I genuinely appreciate reading any book by this author because he educates the reader and provides the truth about Native American history.  He does not sugarcoat the impact of alcohol, drugs, cultural identity, and multi-generational trauma on Native Americans and clears up many of the historical inaccuracies taught about Native Americans. "Wandering Stars" is a well-written, beautiful, powerful, tragic, and haunting novel I will never forget.    

Kudos, Mr. Orange.

A follow up to Tommy Orange’s incredible book “There, There,” the reader is given further insight into what happened to the family after the first book. The ramifications of the violence at the pow wow and the impact on the individuals and family unit are beautifully written. The impact of the family’s far distant past and that more immediate is laid out connecting together to fully reveal the damage perpetrated upon them. Beautifully written Wandering Stars is heartbreakingly real to the reader.

I received this book free from Net galley in return for my review. I absolutely love Tommy Orange's writing! I adored his first book. I didn't think he could get better, but he did. Definitely recommend reading this book.

This book is incredible. When I first began reading, I was struck by the searing voice. Tommy Orange does a phenomenal job of delivering a gut punch. Then, many voices tell the story and that took me aback because I was not expecting more points of view and they are genius. I am glad this book exists and can't wait to read what comes next!!

Many thanks for the complimentary ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the author/publisher.

Trying to figure out if I missed something here. Unfortunately this one isn’t for me.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Any fan of Tommy Orange's first novel, There There, will fall even more in love with his second book. Wandering Stars is a beautifully written examination of the long lasting trauma suffered by Native Americans. Shifting between the Carlisle School and the present day consequences of an active shooter event, Orange ties the emotional realities of the two events together with deft skill. While the narrative is meandering, the emotions explored are deeply resonant. A perfect read for those that seek to understand the realities of generational trauma and the lived experiences of this community.

This was a beautifully written novel which tells a meaningful and salient story in history. It addresses cultural identity, addiction, multigenerational trauma, loss, and the horrors that have been perpetrated in our country’s past. While the narrative was exquisite, at times the story lacked cohesiveness. That being said, I would not hesitate to recommend this novel. Thank you to NetGalley for this free ARC digital copy.

I stopped reading this fairly early on due to some triggers, of which there are many in this book. I do hope to pick it up again in the future. I really enjoy this author and even had the opportunity to hear him speak recently, so I am looking forward to revisiting eventually.

I absolutely LOVED There, There and was thrilled to see Tommy Orange wrote a prequel/sequel to it.

Orange has such a unique way to story telling and that comes through with Wandering Stars. There is so much to learn in his books and you come away knowing you read something truly smart, thoughtful, and unique.

Thank you for to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I was not able to read Wandering Stars by the publishing date but now that I have read it I gave it 5 stars

Absolutely masterful.

Tracking one family (that we already know, from Orange's previous work!) through time, from the Carlisle Schools to the present, Orange shows how the modern Native experience has been shaped, and how it continues to evolve.

Beautiful.

I didn't read Tommy Orange's debut novel There There, so I came in with fresh eyes to this author. This is definitely a slow and meandering journey (rightfully so) through a lot of painful and traumatic experiences, heartache, and trying to process all of that in written form, by multiple people, without losing the audience, which this novel has profoundly done well. It's also difficult to 'rate' someone's personal story, so I will rate this based on the written form alone. It's really difficult to read these kinds of personal testimonies without flinching at the atrocity of mankind, and yet, this story deserves to be told AND heard so that we don't repeat this type of horror in the future, so I highly recommend this to all. Look forward to reading more by Tommy in the future.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*