Historical Fiction

Reviews

Brittany Walker ， 2024-02-27 00:00

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， Ev 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！。。。more

MandM ， 2024-02-27 00:00

It had me at the prologue。

Kassie ， 2024-02-27 00:00

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 Alc 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。。。。more

Miranda Hicks ， 2024-02-27 00:00

（Rounded up from 4。5）Tommy Orange is a master of stream-of-consciousness narration。 Writing through the thoughts of multiple individuals， not to mention multiple generations， and giving them their own personalities， their own distinct voice， is truly incredible。Wandering Stars is also a shining example of "learn the rules so you can break them"。 Switching POV's， page-long run-on sentences， introducing characters abruptly， etc。 Orange does it all with grace， his writing reading like a breath you （Rounded up from 4。5）Tommy Orange is a master of stream-of-consciousness narration。 Writing through the thoughts of multiple individuals， not to mention multiple generations， and giving them their own personalities， their own distinct voice， is truly incredible。Wandering Stars is also a shining example of "learn the rules so you can break them"。 Switching POV's， page-long run-on sentences， introducing characters abruptly， etc。 Orange does it all with grace， his writing reading like a breath you can't quite catch。Only not quite five stars because the novel did feel very heavy for me， and at times I found it hard to want to pick it up。 This book has a gravity all it's own， some days it pulled me in， and some days I circled around it。Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to receive an ARC 。。。more

Sue ， 2024-02-27 00:00

Again， as it was with There There， I have chills reading this last page。 Wandering Stars did not invoke the same gut punch as his previous work but still powerful。 Orvil RedFeather survived the powwow shooting and we backtrack through his ancestral survivors。 Jude Star lived through the Sand Creek Massacre，Charles Star the Indian Industrial school system。 Victoria raised by white parents takes her children，Orvils mother Jacquie and auntie Opal to participate in the Alcatraz takeover。 A place to Again， as it was with There There， I have chills reading this last page。 Wandering Stars did not invoke the same gut punch as his previous work but still powerful。 Orvil RedFeather survived the powwow shooting and we backtrack through his ancestral survivors。 Jude Star lived through the Sand Creek Massacre，Charles Star the Indian Industrial school system。 Victoria raised by white parents takes her children，Orvils mother Jacquie and auntie Opal to participate in the Alcatraz takeover。 A place to try to take back some of their history。 Generations and generations of forced trauma and suppression。 2018 begins the second half of the book and centers around the aftermath of the Oakland shooting and Orvils family。 The traumas of the past has resulted in PTSD and addiction。 Yet there is much strength there especially written into Opals character， this family’s struggles and survival and in many ways triumph。 Looking forward to more from Tommy Orange。 Thank you Netgalley and Knopf publishing。。。。more

The Shelf Life ， 2024-02-27 00:00

Wandering Star was such an enlightening book。 The story of the Bear Shield-Red Feather family， shows strength， will and endurance。 At the same time， heartbreaking， as we would never hear these stories in a classroom。 We meet Jude Star in 1864 in Colorado。 His family and people were killed and brutalized in the Sand Creek Massacre。 The Sand Creek was a massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U。S。 Army。 When a 675-man force of the Third Colorado Cavalry under the command of Colonel John Chi Wandering Star was such an enlightening book。 The story of the Bear Shield-Red Feather family， shows strength， will and endurance。 At the same time， heartbreaking， as we would never hear these stories in a classroom。 We meet Jude Star in 1864 in Colorado。 His family and people were killed and brutalized in the Sand Creek Massacre。 The Sand Creek was a massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U。S。 Army。 When a 675-man force of the Third Colorado Cavalry under the command of Colonel John Chivington attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado Territory， killing and mutilating an estimated 600 Native American people。 Chivington claimed 500 to 600 warriors were killed， about two-thirds of whom were women and children。 He and another young man survived this attack and now are having to figure out what to do next。 This is when he and his friend are taken to Fort Marion Prison Castle。 Here Star if forced to forget his indigenous beliefs， traditions and language。 Instead they are forced to learn English and practice Christianity。 When Star is finally able to leaves the Fort Marion Prison Castle in Florida。 We see how he navigates life on his own and how he now sees the world。 This was a great book。 I would recommend this to any reader。 You don’t have to be a historical fiction reader to get so much out of this book。 This writing was so poetic and has such a beautiful quality that it will keep you glued to the pages。 It is a multigenerational work that spans centuries and shows us the lasting scares that are passed down to each person。。。。more

Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader ， 2024-02-27 00:00

If Wandering Stars has caught your attention， and by all means， it absolutely should， please， please， please make sure you read There， There first。 While not called a sequel， storylines from beloved characters continue， and you cannot read one without the other and get the full experience。A constellation of narratives， just like a constellation of stars， Wandering Stars digs into the past and future of these characters。 It’s an exploration of colonial atrocities， including institutions like the If Wandering Stars has caught your attention， and by all means， it absolutely should， please， please， please make sure you read There， There first。 While not called a sequel， storylines from beloved characters continue， and you cannot read one without the other and get the full experience。A constellation of narratives， just like a constellation of stars， Wandering Stars digs into the past and future of these characters。 It’s an exploration of colonial atrocities， including institutions like the Carlisle Indian School， committed by the US government on the Cheyenne and other indigenous people。 Wandering Stars is also an exploration of addiction and recovery， as well as PTSD and “othering。” It’s a story of intergenerational trauma， and one that may need to be read slowly， thoroughly digesting the characters’ experiences in their rawest form。I was invested fully and had been eagerly awaiting this follow-up。 These are just some of my scattered thoughts。 Important， urgently so， powerful， brutal， emotional， raw， and masterful。Thank you to Knopf for the free copy of the book。Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www。jennifertarheelreader。com and instagram: www。instagram。com/tarheelreader 。。。more

Kimberly ， 2024-02-27 00:00

Superb all the way around。 I will be shocked if this book isn't nominated for multiple awards。 I thought it was so well written and such a testament to trauma and addiction。 Now I need to go back and revisit There， There。 Superb all the way around。 I will be shocked if this book isn't nominated for multiple awards。 I thought it was so well written and such a testament to trauma and addiction。 Now I need to go back and revisit There， There。。。。more

Kristy Hidalgo ， 2024-02-26 00:00

I am so sad to say that I DNF'ed this book at 20%。 No matter how hard I tried， I could not connect with the storyline， pacing， or characters。 Tommy Orange writes beautifully but sometimes the sentences were very long and I lost interest。 However， if you are a fan of poetic prose and dont mind a leisurely plot， this book might be for you。 I am so sad to say that I DNF'ed this book at 20%。 No matter how hard I tried， I could not connect with the storyline， pacing， or characters。 Tommy Orange writes beautifully but sometimes the sentences were very long and I lost interest。 However， if you are a fan of poetic prose and dont mind a leisurely plot， this book might be for you。。。。more

Julia Fleming ， 2024-02-26 00:00

A poignant read that moved in waves through time， each generation facing tragedy。 I personally felt much more engaged with the first half of the book and hoped for more stories from the earlier generations， each ending up being more of a snapshot in time。 Victoria’s story somehow felt the most palpably painful。 The perspective shifts were very interesting and moving at times， but sometimes confusing。 By the time we got to 2018， I was curious about how much of the book was left。 Orvil and his bro A poignant read that moved in waves through time， each generation facing tragedy。 I personally felt much more engaged with the first half of the book and hoped for more stories from the earlier generations， each ending up being more of a snapshot in time。 Victoria’s story somehow felt the most palpably painful。 The perspective shifts were very interesting and moving at times， but sometimes confusing。 By the time we got to 2018， I was curious about how much of the book was left。 Orvil and his brothers’ stories were compelling， but I desperately hoped they would also learn about their family’s history， especially as Orvil seemed to feel the generations within him after he got shot。 I suppose them not learning about their ancestor’s pages is another part of the tragedy。 Ending on Lony’s story confused me， but I think I need to sit with it longer。 This is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time and will likely have to read again to fully appreciate Tommy’s Orange’s work with the storytelling and perspectives。。。。more

Michael Burke ， 2024-02-26 00:00

There are ConsequencesWe did inhumane things to Native Americans in the name of taking over （“settling”） our new property。 This is not a news flash， you can look it up， there are facts and footnotes in your Wikipedia。 Seems like a long time ago– what with cowboys and such…sepia picture images so far removed from life today。 “Wandering Stars，” emerges with violence before author Tommy Orange depicts the ceaseless efforts to systematically eliminate any trace of Native culture。 How this history ef There are ConsequencesWe did inhumane things to Native Americans in the name of taking over （“settling”） our new property。 This is not a news flash， you can look it up， there are facts and footnotes in your Wikipedia。 Seems like a long time ago– what with cowboys and such…sepia picture images so far removed from life today。 “Wandering Stars，” emerges with violence before author Tommy Orange depicts the ceaseless efforts to systematically eliminate any trace of Native culture。 How this history effectively shackles today’s Native American is what we discover here。 In 1864， approximately 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people， mostly women and children， were brutally murdered and mutilated in the Sand Creek massacre。 “Wandering Stars” starts there， with a young Jude Star surviving the attack， only to be captured and sent to Carlisle Industrial Indian School， an infamous re-education institution tasked with assimilating Native Americans into civilized society。 The school’s founder， Richard Henry Pratt， lived by the expression， “Kill the Indian， save the man。” He told students they were being taught to become Carlisle Indians， a new tribe belonging to the school and the U。S。 government。 The children were whitewashed， severed from any trace of their history or heritage。 This is only a portion of the book。 The point is bridging the trauma of the past with today。 We see subsequent generations orphaned from their past， only vaguely aware of their ancestors and their folklore。 Here are people hurting today， not just mysterious tragic figures frozen in history。 Drug addiction， alcoholism， depression， suicide… companions to the sustained dehumanization。 “Wandering Stars” is a prequel and sequel to Tommy Orange’s “There There，” a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2018。 You do not have to have read the first book to follow the character or buy into their stories。 It is a riveting read and provides an important bridge from history to what is being dealt with today。 It is enlightening。 Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 “The so-called Chivington or Sand Creek Massacre， in spite of certain most objectionable details， was on the whole as righteous and beneficial a deed as ever took place on the frontier。” – Theodore Roosevelt 。。。more

Sara ， 2024-02-26 00:00

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC copy in exchange for this review。Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars beautifully tells a story of intergenerational trauma， culture， and identity。 Since the release of Orange's debut novel， I have been waiting for more work from the author， and this is an amazing sophomore novel。 Tracing a family line from the Sand Creek Massacre to modern day Oakland， we see each generation deal with the pain of the previous and their attempts to maybe do better， but at Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC copy in exchange for this review。Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars beautifully tells a story of intergenerational trauma， culture， and identity。 Since the release of Orange's debut novel， I have been waiting for more work from the author， and this is an amazing sophomore novel。 Tracing a family line from the Sand Creek Massacre to modern day Oakland， we see each generation deal with the pain of the previous and their attempts to maybe do better， but at the end of the day， we are shown flaws in their attempts。 There is some disconnect that can seem a little jarring when we're moving from one character's story to another， but I think that that can help differentiate between the timelines。 There's a there there， but it also shows how it's shrinking and that there can be a loss of identity if it isn't fostered。 We see each character reckon with what it means to be Native to them， and in the end， that's what matters。 Not what the world sees， but how they see themselves。。。。more

Mark Chimel ， 2024-02-26 00:00

Tommy Orange weaves Indigenous history along with his previous novel throughout the stories that come together to make up this novel。 Having grown up near Carlisle where the infamous Carlisle Indian School was， I was drawn to this part of the book， and the connection back to There There， which I also read， was an interesting element as well。 Despite the difficult， yet important， subject matter， the characters and their stories were interesting。 The stories didn't all feel completely connected to Tommy Orange weaves Indigenous history along with his previous novel throughout the stories that come together to make up this novel。 Having grown up near Carlisle where the infamous Carlisle Indian School was， I was drawn to this part of the book， and the connection back to There There， which I also read， was an interesting element as well。 Despite the difficult， yet important， subject matter， the characters and their stories were interesting。 The stories didn't all feel completely connected to me， but all were compelling， albeit difficult to read due to their subject matter。 I know this was an anticipated book and while it's not a perfect novel I think it overall it delivers on its promise。*I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。。。。more

Booksandcoffeemx ， 2024-02-26 00:00

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio and Alfred A。 Knopf for this complimentary audiobook and gifted copy。 This is really an outstanding and powerful read。I loved There There and Wandering Stars is a perfect follow up。 Beautifully written， shattering and gut-wrenching， a story about family， racism， love and belonging。

Marissa ， 2024-02-26 00:00

📚Book review📚 :: WANDERING STARS by Tommy OrangeStory premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Wandering Stars takes us back in order to move us forward。 Tommy Orange first gave us the Pulitzer Prize finalist There， There， where we meet 12 characters in various stages of life， all from Native communities。 They all converge at the Big Oakland Powwow， where 14 year old Orvil Red Feather finds himself clinging to life after a robbery goes awry。 📚Book review📚 :: WANDERING STARS by Tommy OrangeStory premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Wandering Stars takes us back in order to move us forward。 Tommy Orange first gave us the Pulitzer Prize finalist There， There， where we meet 12 characters in various stages of life， all from Native communities。 They all converge at the Big Oakland Powwow， where 14 year old Orvil Red Feather finds himself clinging to life after a robbery goes awry。 But Wandering Stars doesn't start there。 No， Tommy Orange carries us all the way back to 1864 to the Sand Creek Massacre where we meet a teenager named Jude Star。 He escapes narrowly with his life but is captured and sent to prison where he is forced to shed his native culture by the man who would go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School -- an infamous boarding school created to force the assimilation of Native children。 This man and his school would go on to brutalize thousands of children， including Jude Star's son。 And it is this history， this lineage of ancestral trauma and systematic violence that trickles down through the years and lands squarely on Orvil Red Feather， his grandmas and his brothers。 There， There was a groundbreaking novel but Wandering Stars is earth shattering。 I usually start a review with what I think the heart of the book is but for this one， the only place I can even think to start is with the writing。 Orange is a master of his craft。 There were sentences， single sentences， that drew tears from my eyes。 The chapters of the book change perspective， narrator and even style。 The structure， the voice -- everything -- changes in such a beautiful way depending on whose story is being told。 Orange writes with equal brilliance as a high schooler in the throes of addiction as he does an elderly woman trying to wade through her regrets。 Orange uses his near perfect prose to provide insight into the struggles of a people who are not a monolith but who are all crawling out from under the weight of American history。 Like in There， There， the characters of Wandering Stars are consumed by the day to day of their lives。 But in Wandering Stars， we have been handed a road map to travel back in time to witness the pain that will be carried on in the blood of the Star， later Red Feather， family。 In doing so， we as the readers can look at their lives from a unique perspective。 It's this sweeping view and it's insight into breaking generational cycles that makes this book so powerful。Wandering Stars is about what being Native means to Native people。 It's about their constant search for an identity as identities are stripped away from them and then forced upon them。 Where does the land fit into their identity？ Community？ Language？ Feathers？ Addiction？ They're questions Orange doesn't have answers to but the questions in themselves and the characters' search for resolution provides a kind of healing。 I'm grateful that Orange has given the world this opportunity to better understand the lived experiences of some Native people。 We are all better off because of books like Wandering Stars， not only because of the beauty it is made out of but for the knowledge it is willing to impart。。。。more

Rachael | Booklist Queen ， 2024-02-26 00:00

Tommy Orange returns with a new book release that is both a prequel and a sequel to his bestselling novel， There There。 In 2018， Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield struggles to hold her family together in the aftermath of her grandson Orvil's shooting at the Oakland Powwow。 In Wandering Stars， Tommy Orange takes you through Opal's family history， as each generation faces discrimination and addiction。Although I enjoyed There There， I had a difficult time reading Tommy Orange's sequel/prequel， Wander Tommy Orange returns with a new book release that is both a prequel and a sequel to his bestselling novel， There There。 In 2018， Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield struggles to hold her family together in the aftermath of her grandson Orvil's shooting at the Oakland Powwow。 In Wandering Stars， Tommy Orange takes you through Opal's family history， as each generation faces discrimination and addiction。Although I enjoyed There There， I had a difficult time reading Tommy Orange's sequel/prequel， Wandering Stars。 The first third of the novel showcased disjointed snippets of Opal's ancestors which are told as reflections on their memories。 Then the novel settles into the present day， following Opal and her grandchildren in the aftermath of the shooting at the end of There There。 Overall， Wandering Stars was too disjointed and high brow for my taste， mainly focusing on each character's internal thoughts。I received a complimentary copy of this book from Knopf through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。。。。more

switterbug （Betsey）， 2024-02-26 00:00

RTC but I will say that if THERE THERE is 5 stars， this is 7 stars！！！！ I'm still digesting it， coming down from my emotions。 Tommy Orange is a national treasure。 RTC but I will say that if THERE THERE is 5 stars， this is 7 stars！！！！ I'm still digesting it， coming down from my emotions。 Tommy Orange is a national treasure。。。。more

Victoria Hall-Palerm ， 2024-02-26 00:00

Hate to say， but this book felt like a bit of a sophomore slump。 Maybe I just had too high expectations after There There， but while that book was propulsive and gripping， this one felt a little unmoored and meandering， and I found myself not itching to pick it up。 That said， the book still had moments of real heartbreak and insight （particularly in the modern day chapters）， and some sentences knocked me out。 So while this one fell a little short for me， I’ll still be first in line to read his n Hate to say， but this book felt like a bit of a sophomore slump。 Maybe I just had too high expectations after There There， but while that book was propulsive and gripping， this one felt a little unmoored and meandering， and I found myself not itching to pick it up。 That said， the book still had moments of real heartbreak and insight （particularly in the modern day chapters）， and some sentences knocked me out。 So while this one fell a little short for me， I’ll still be first in line to read his next one。。。。more

Paula Lyle ， 2024-02-26 00:00

This is an amazing book with an almost kaleidoscopic feel。 The swirls and turnings of plot， the hunger for things that seem real but mostly are not。 The family and culture that is behind and beyond everything。 A powerful and sobering experience。 Thank you Tommy Orange。I received an eARC through NetGalley。

Chelsea | Books2read_chelsea ， 2024-02-26 00:00

“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。”Wow， this book is intense and deep。The story moves so quickly that the anxiousness and foreboding of the characters is passed to the reader。 Once the forward starts， there is an intense ominous feeling that does not subside until the end。 The writing moves quickly and then slows down for an interesting pacing。The historical facts about how the Nat “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。”Wow， this book is intense and deep。The story moves so quickly that the anxiousness and foreboding of the characters is passed to the reader。 Once the forward starts， there is an intense ominous feeling that does not subside until the end。 The writing moves quickly and then slows down for an interesting pacing。The historical facts about how the Native American Indians were treated mixed with the stories of these characters is incredibly raw and honest。It is kind of a mix between Killers of the Flower Moon and Homegoing。So many amazing quotes， feelings and truths are woven into the story of this family。I liked There There by Tommy Orange more， and I appreciated how some of those characters， and their experiences， transferred to this book。 You don’t have to read them in order but I would start with There There。3。5 stars， rounded up 。。。more

Doctoreads ， 2024-02-25 00:00

This is a very sad and difficult read！Keeping up with the characters and the lineage did feel， at times， like a sport I was not good at。 Perhaps I should have read “There There” before jumping to this one？ The story is told in ways that will make you feel things and even though， I did struggle to get through certain parts of the book， I would still recommend this BUT just be warned that “Wandering Stars” will make you feel things you might not be ready for。

Lindsay Andros ， 2024-02-25 00:00

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC！ I read THERE THERE when it came out a few years ago， and found it to be very powerful and enlightening。 I was very excited to read WANDERING。 STARS for a similar experience， but didn’t realize that it was a sequel of sorts， detailing the aftermath of the incident in Orange’s first novel。 Though I enjoyed this sequel （and also prequel？）， it didn’t hit its mark in quite the same way for me。 The first section details the lives of several generations o Huge thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC！ I read THERE THERE when it came out a few years ago， and found it to be very powerful and enlightening。 I was very excited to read WANDERING。 STARS for a similar experience， but didn’t realize that it was a sequel of sorts， detailing the aftermath of the incident in Orange’s first novel。 Though I enjoyed this sequel （and also prequel？）， it didn’t hit its mark in quite the same way for me。 The first section details the lives of several generations of a family and their struggles as Native Americans。 I found much of this section difficult to read， with odd sentence structure that made thoughts difficult to follow and interrupted the flow。 Parts of this first section read like nonfiction， and there were events that seemed out of nowhere to me; I went back several times to see if I had missed something。 However， all of this improves with Opal’s perspective， when the writing drastically changes for the better， and that improvement was continued in the second section， which focused on the three brothers （Orvil， Loother， and Lony， who I believe were all introduced in THERE THERE）。 This second section deals primarily with addiction — how a person becomes addicted， the lies they tell themselves， and the profound impact on the people around them。 I found this section to be honest， powerful， and excellently done。However， the third section lost me again。 It was shorter than the other two， but read like an end-of-movie wrap-up （where are they now？）， and didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the novel。 It seemed very preachy and a little too saccharine for my liking， although I will absolutely admit that might just be my cynicism， as I’m approaching the anniversary of losing someone to addiction。Overall， much of this novel is extremely well done， but the beginning and the end were weaker for me。 Three stars。。。。more

Brian Rothbart ， 2024-02-25 00:00

Tommy Orange shows that there isn’t a sophomore slump。 His second book is as poetic and important， maybe more historically important than “There There”， his first book。 It is filled with rage， addiction， sadness， and tells the devastating story of America’s war on its indigenous people。 It is an important book that people should read to understand what was done or to remind us of what was done。 When reading this book， I kept thinking of Madeline Sayet’s play， “Where We belong” as a lot of the sa Tommy Orange shows that there isn’t a sophomore slump。 His second book is as poetic and important， maybe more historically important than “There There”， his first book。 It is filled with rage， addiction， sadness， and tells the devastating story of America’s war on its indigenous people。 It is an important book that people should read to understand what was done or to remind us of what was done。 When reading this book， I kept thinking of Madeline Sayet’s play， “Where We belong” as a lot of the same themes run through both her play and Orange’s novel。 I highly recommend both。。。。more

Joe ， 2024-02-25 00:00

An absolute crushing story worthy of being the sequel to “There There”。 It should be no surprise when Tommy Orange finds himself yet again on the Pulitzer list with this stunning novel。

Teresa ， 2024-02-25 00:00

We meet Jude Star as he's remembering the events and aftermath of the Sand Creek massacre of 1864。 Violently separated from his family， he winds up at a prison "castle" in Florida under the cruel watch of （a very real） Richard Henry Pratt， who went on to start the Carlisle Indian School and epitomized the white man's goal of Indian assimilation， "to control people better， to extend adolescence and create more complacent citizens using models they used to domesticate animals"。 There's a lot of tr We meet Jude Star as he's remembering the events and aftermath of the Sand Creek massacre of 1864。 Violently separated from his family， he winds up at a prison "castle" in Florida under the cruel watch of （a very real） Richard Henry Pratt， who went on to start the Carlisle Indian School and epitomized the white man's goal of Indian assimilation， "to control people better， to extend adolescence and create more complacent citizens using models they used to domesticate animals"。 There's a lot of trauma， along with a lot of resilience， and connection through the generations。 "Walking around Lake Merritt you see all kinds of people in Oakland， the hipster， the homeless， the homeless hipster， the mixtape mixed-race CD-pushing rapper ， the serious runners and the casual runners， the joggers， the stoners， the casual blunt smokers， the power walkers， the slow walkers that talk endlessly， the stroller pushers， and then just so many young people with blankets on the grass。 It didn’t used to be like this around the lake， people always walked it， but now it is a kind of scene， with food trucks in tow。" Ultimately we end up in Oakland， after the powwow from There There。 I love the world building， the authenticity。 We care about the characters， their decisions， their fate。 Their inner turmoil， outer struggles （with each other， racism， injustice， you name it）。 Wandering Stars is a prequel and a sequel and revisiting the characters alongside the stories of their ancestors （there's a helpful family tree at the beginning） and depictions of systemic cultural erasure （of customs， rituals and language while families were separated） was a strong framing that resonated。 If Orange continues adding to this story I'm here for it。 My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC。。。。more

Leila ， 2024-02-25 00:00

There There is the most authentic， poignant depiction of Oakland I've ever read。 Somehow， Wandering Stars takes that a step further and creates a stunning， sweeping depiction of Oakland， addiction， and belonging that builds on and surpasses Tommy Orange's debut novel。 Do not come in expecting a sequel in the traditional sense: sequels are often disappointing and can fall short in the continuation of the first installment and this novel does quite the opposite。 Tommy Orange has completely redefin There There is the most authentic， poignant depiction of Oakland I've ever read。 Somehow， Wandering Stars takes that a step further and creates a stunning， sweeping depiction of Oakland， addiction， and belonging that builds on and surpasses Tommy Orange's debut novel。 Do not come in expecting a sequel in the traditional sense: sequels are often disappointing and can fall short in the continuation of the first installment and this novel does quite the opposite。 Tommy Orange has completely redefined what a sequel can be in Wandering Stars。 The first portion of the novel traces the history of a native family and addiction as a reverberation of colonial violence。 This is a family saga， a historical novel， and a coming of age story all at once。 When we move into the present day and meet Orvil after the shooting at the Powwow that ends There There， we get to immerse ourselves in a world of young people looking to escape the isolation and silence that follows them。 This book depicts young people with such truth， such respect， such complexity。 Orange is filling gaps in the historical archive of Native people and also filling the pockets of silence that hold us hostage。 The questions he asks are as breathtaking as the stories he constructs: what does it mean to not only survive but live， what gives us claim to history， land， and family， and what legacy and language we are leaving to our young people？ Truly， this book changed me。。。。more

Kristina ， 2024-02-25 00:00

Tommy Orange's fantastic novel about Native communities in There There is continued in his new novel Wandering Stars。 While you do not have to read the first book to enjoy this one， it does provide context to characters' actions （disclaimer that I had read it， but had been years， and so I read a summary to re-familiarize myself with the characters）。 Wandering Stars hinges on the shooting that takes place in There There， with the first section of this book being about earlier Native ancestors， wh Tommy Orange's fantastic novel about Native communities in There There is continued in his new novel Wandering Stars。 While you do not have to read the first book to enjoy this one， it does provide context to characters' actions （disclaimer that I had read it， but had been years， and so I read a summary to re-familiarize myself with the characters）。 Wandering Stars hinges on the shooting that takes place in There There， with the first section of this book being about earlier Native ancestors， while the second section focuses on events post-shooting。 He provided a helpful family tree at the beginning of the book to align how individuals were related。 Jude Star lives through the 1864 San Creek Massacre， and is eventually put on a train to Florida to be jailed， and he meets the overseer Pratt who believes he can "reform" the Natives。 Jude leans into religion and a particular Bible verse resonates with him- Raging waves of the sea， foaming out their own shame， wandering stars， to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever。 Pratt's vision is unfortunately carried through to Jude's son Charles who attends Pratt's Carlisle Industrial School for Indians。 Orvil， many generations removed from his relative Jude recovers physically from the bullet wound sustained at the Powwow。 He finds comfort in reading how fellow survivors of mass shootings dealt with the aftermath。 He also starts taking more of his prescribed painkillers than he should and makes friends with a fellow student who also takes painkillers after sustaining an accident。 Orvil's brothers Loother and Lony are both dealing with difficulties in their family in unique ways。 Lony wants to connect to Native practices and attempts to use folklore in a way to protect his family， especially Orvil whom he is very worried about。This book is very much one of generational trauma and how individuals cope （or do not）。 We see early signs of drug use in earlier generations， family separation， mental health challenges， transracial adoption， and self-discovery。 As in There There， different characters are approaching their relationship with their Native identities in different ways- some leaning into， some running away from。 Orange is a fantastic writer， and he tamps into cultures that are not highlighted enough in literature。 I found the first section of this book very fast-paced， and wish I could have spent more time with the earlier generations， while at times， some of the second section dragged。 I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters， especially Lony， who says in a letter may we learn to forgive ourselves， so that we lose the weight， so that we may fly， not as birds but as people， get above the weight and carry on， for the next generations， so that we might keep living， stop doing all this dying。 Well said， Lony。Thank you to Knopf via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review。。。。more

Brittany ， 2024-02-25 00:00

If you loved reading There， There， you will love this follow-up novel。 This book asks the question: what does it mean to be the children and grandchildren of massacre？ The story goes through a stay in a prison castle and then an Indian School where cultural extermination is carried out by forcibly removing any expression of Native identity。 Brutality continues when the next generation is born and sent to the same boarding school。 By following the descendants of massacre， we are brought across ti If you loved reading There， There， you will love this follow-up novel。 This book asks the question: what does it mean to be the children and grandchildren of massacre？ The story goes through a stay in a prison castle and then an Indian School where cultural extermination is carried out by forcibly removing any expression of Native identity。 Brutality continues when the next generation is born and sent to the same boarding school。 By following the descendants of massacre， we are brought across timelines and perspectives following three generations of Southern Cheyenne people。 This family connects to the characters from There， There and expands on the past， present， and future。 I found the family tree outlined in the beginning of the book helpful to keep track of the characters。 This is a powerful depiction of how colonization and generational trauma has long lasting effects on so many people。 This is a story of struggle， survival， addiction， endurance， injustice， and healing。 Please refer to content warnings prior to reading as this book does explore heavy topics。 I enjoyed reading this book because the characters are complex and multifaceted。 I would recommend this to anyone interested in reading a great literary work that explores identity in a meaningful way。CW: addiction， sexual assault （off-page）， self-harm， cancer， suicide， suicidal ideation， deathThank you NetGalley and Knopf for sending this book for review consideration。 All opinions are my own。。。。more

Stephanie ， 2024-02-25 00:00

“Wandering Stars” serves as both a prequel and a sequel to Tommy Orange’s Pulitzer finalist debut， “There There” as it chronicles the Native American Bear Shield-Red Feather family。 This historical fiction tale begins in 1864 with the Sand Creek Massacre in which more than 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people were killed by the U。S。 Army in Colorado。 A Cheyenne boy flees and teams up with another young survivor until starvation causes them to turn themselves in at Fort Reno where 33 prisoners of war “Wandering Stars” serves as both a prequel and a sequel to Tommy Orange’s Pulitzer finalist debut， “There There” as it chronicles the Native American Bear Shield-Red Feather family。 This historical fiction tale begins in 1864 with the Sand Creek Massacre in which more than 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people were killed by the U。S。 Army in Colorado。 A Cheyenne boy flees and teams up with another young survivor until starvation causes them to turn themselves in at Fort Reno where 33 prisoners of war were shipped to Fort Marion Prison Castle in Florida to pay for the crimes committed by Southern Cheyennes against the Army。 While incarcerated， the boys， now called Jude Star and Victor Shield， attend school and church and train to be military men “dressed as the very kind of men some of us had seen wipe our people out。” On a train ride back to Oklahoma， Jude sees piles of buffalo bones， each buffalo slaughtered signaling “an Indian gone。” Jude laments that he did not want to “see any more of the old world so dead before it was gone。” Jude marries Hannah， a white orphan raised by Cherokees。 Their son， Charles Star， is sent to the Carlisle school to become assimilated “in order that he might not be killed for being Indian。” Charles Star and Opal Viola Bear Shield， Victor Shield’s daughter， inherit the trauma passed on by their fathers and Charles Star， who had dreams of becoming a writer， robs general stores and is ultimately undone by his addiction to laudanum。 Their daughter， Victoria Bear Shield， is raised by white alcoholics where she “will grow up an unpaid servant， a faithful daughter to faithless drunks。。。。” Victoria Bear Shield will have two daughter， one of which will raise Jude’s great， great， great grandsons， including Orvil Red Feather， a teenager in 2018 recovering from being shot during the Oakland Coliseum powwow and contending with an addiction to pain killers as he tries to undo a past which is tied to the present。 As Orvil states， “I wanted to feel connected to being Native， and to being Cheyenne， but I didn’t quit know how。” Orange has created a searing portrait of the generational impact of institutional and systematic trauma and oppression brought about by America’s anti-human program of assimilation。 Orange’s novel is a remarkable achievement， chronicling over a century’s worth of atrocities against the indigenous people in a multi-generational story with richly drawn and fascinating characters。 The writing is lyrical and Orange traces the violence and confusion of Jude Star’s life through generations with a powerful but subtle hand。 Despite decades of murder， poverty， and addiction， and despite the efforts of the Carsile founder Richard Henry Pratt to send “the vanishing race off into final captivity before disappearing into history forever，” essential traces of Native heritage endure in this powerful indictment of America’s misguided efforts。 Thank you Knopf and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this important and powerful novel that will stay with me long after I close the cover。。。。more

Mo ， 2024-02-25 00:00

Nobody is doing it like Tommy Orange。 This book is a masterpiece， a love letter to Oakland， a redefinition of what a prequel/sequel is， a redrawing of the archive， a coping with addiction， a loving hand cradling youth in its center。

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Reviews

It had me at the prologue。

An absolute crushing story worthy of being the sequel to “There There”。 It should be no surprise when Tommy Orange finds himself yet again on the Pulitzer list with this stunning novel。

Nobody is doing it like Tommy Orange。 This book is a masterpiece， a love letter to Oakland， a redefinition of what a prequel/sequel is， a redrawing of the archive， a coping with addiction， a loving hand cradling youth in its center。