Another masterpiece from Tommy Orange. This is not a light read. The subject matter is important and rarely covered in such a beautiful way. This book is truly a piece of literature. Was it my favorite book? No. It was heavy and depressing at times, but overall it was so well written that I will definitely recommend it to others.

Tommy Orange is back with this lyrical, poetic style of writing - a great sophomore follow-up that gives a sort of closure to There, There. A tough read, nonetheless, that may be difficult for some readers. It delves into themes of violence and trauma, including enduring generational trauma that implores readers to take a step back and really analyze a multigenerational family saga that was so heavily influenced by the cultural erasure of Indigenous peoples.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

“You’ll wonder about the name Victoria once you find out your real mother named you that while she was… birthing you…if she was saying the word victory…that she had birthed a living being, brought another Indian into a country that’d been doing its best to disappear you for hundreds of years, in countless ways.”

This is the theme I think Tommy Orange is focused on in his new novel. His writing is stunningly beautiful. I struggle with his style of storytelling. It seems like he is telling me a story with gaps in it and saying IYKYK. I obviously don’t know but I hope that I am learning and growing by trying to understand in the best way I can.

In this novel Orange goes back in history to bring forward the stories of generations of trauma and loss for the Cheyennes. It’s full of pain, pathos, and there is no justice, just holding it together and moving forward with the combined memory of the people.

I can’t adequately review this book because of my limited scope but I can definitely appreciate the care and the intention with which it has been imbued.

My thanks to @aaknopf, @NetGalley, and @penguinrandomhouse who allowed me to read this

Tommy Orange builds on the stories of several characters introduced in There, There. He deftly delves into generational trauma, tracing one family back to the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre and through boarding schools, prison, and slavery. Each character's attempt at escaping winds through the book, along with the title. This is a challenging and necessary read.

I loved There, There and was so excited to see another book by Tommy Orange, and one that carries on the stories of Orvil Red Feather and his family. Wandering Stars takes an interesting approach, by going back in history and showing how the generational trauma is impacting these characters.

We follow Orvil's ancestors from the Sand Creek Massacre, to the American Indian boarding schools meant to strip indigenous children of their history and culture, to the present day. Through this reflection, we see the devastating impact of the trauma across generations, resulting in the suffering we see by Orvil Red Feather and his family.

The book is beautifully written and the character development is solid.

Tommy Orange writes with an authenticity, rawness, and sensitivity I admire. I cannot wait to read more from Orange!

thankis to #WanderingStars #NetGalley for the eARC.

When I read the first pages of Tommy Orange’s debut novel There There, I was instantly gripped, emotionally and intellectually. I was thrilled to read Wandering Stars, which takes up the same characters, beginning with the inception of the family’s trauma at the Sand Creek Massacre.

A number of years ago I read a book on the Sand Creek Massacre that was commissioned by the United Methodist Church as part of their repentance and reconciliation with Indigenous people; the leader of the massacre was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church when he lead the attack on a group of women, children, and elderly men.

Orange begins his novel with a survivor of the massacre. Wandering and starving, he turns himself over to the authorities only to be arrested for a crime he did not do. He takes the name Jude Star after he is indoctrinated to be Christian and learns English.

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.
from Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

The next generation finds Star’s son Charles taken to a residential school with the purpose of destroying Native culture and erasing its history. After leaving the school, Star and fellow student Opal Viola try to build a new life. But generation after generation carry inherited trauma, each struggling with issues of identity, lost heritage, and substance abuse. The latest generation includes Orvil Redfeather, who was shot while dancing in his first Pow Wow, as told in There There.

It is an engrossing read with wonderful characters and storytelling, and a disturbing read as we are immersed in the experiences of these characters and are reminded of the horrendous acts against humanity that shaped our country.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

I am still digesting. This book is one of the best books I’ve read in the past few years. It’s so good that when I finished it, I started reading it again. This book will make you FEEL. It’s unsettling, uncomfortable, and raw. The writing is outstanding and beautiful and we learn about the inner workings, history, and traumas that get passed from generation to generation. Not everyone may like this book because of the way it makes them feel, but everyone should read this book. I will be highly recommending this to my networks(social, personal, and professional) in the months to come!

Publisher, I would love a hard copy to carry around with me all Spring!

Thank you for the memorable reading experience.

I have been so excited to read Tommy Orange’s second book, but I wish I had re-read There There before reading Wandering Stars. Jumping back in with the Red Feather family, we find out what happens after the powwow in Oakland. But first, several generations of family history are included, beginning with the Sand Creek Massacre to residential Indian schools and then to present-day Oakland, where the urban Red Feather family are trying to find connections to their tribe and culture.

The chapters are written in first, second, and third person. And, unsurprisingly, written beautifully. Orvil has survived being shot at the Powwow, but it continues to affect his family and himself—physically and mentally. Sadly, suffering pain and finding comfort in addiction, an all too common fate.

What I did not love: The characters at the beginning of the book deserved more development. I hope that is coming in subsequent books. What I did love: weaving Donnie Darko into the story.

Wandering Stars is a stunning tale of a Native American family and its intergenerational trauma and struggles with addiction. Every voice in the book is unique and compelling, from Jude Star, forced to suffer at the Carlisle school, to his descendants, who grapple with opiate addition and poverty in Oakland, California. I can't say it was a pleasant read, and not and easy one, but Orange's language is astonishing in its originality, and the story is essential.

Very well-written story--it kept me reading and engaged. Beautiful storytelling and imagery. I would definitely recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Tommy Orange!

With snippets of generations revealed through the lenses of different characters within a Native American community, author Tommy Orange pulls together an intricate reflection on life, loss, and family. This novel builds on the characters we are introduced to in Orange’s debut "There, There"–a novel I greatly enjoyed–yet I found myself struggling to really get into "Wandering Stars."

Part one starts in the latter half of the 1800’s, throwing readers into the tumultuous history of colonization and murder of Native American peoples. Readers learn more about the personal struggles of several characters and how they are all connected to bring readers to part two, picking back up in the present day aftermath following the end of "There, There."

The emotional and mental resilience of the Native American community is the heart of this book as readers learn more about, for example, the genocidal boarding schools children and young adults were forced into–I appreciated the way such a charged historical subject was given a human perspective; the sense of strength was conveyed so purposefully through just a minor glimpse into the character’s history. To that end, though, the first half of the novel felt almost a bit too factual, and the brief introductions we are given to several characters did not feel like enough for me to feel engaged.

The distinct separation tonally from part one to two was too overpowering for me to really dig into the book, but there’s no doubt Orange is such an artistic and creative writer. I was intrigued by how well Orange conveyed how one seemingly small event can change the course of a family history for years to come, and, above all else, that despite colonizer efforts to wipe out Native American culture, they survived and fought and remembered their identity, ensuring their lineage would not forget either.

Wandering Stars is a novel that spans many generations of a family that is constantly struggling, starting way back when European settlers attempted to eradicate the Native people. With a number of characters and narrators, the family tree provided at the beginning of the book is absolutely necessary. Keeping the family members straight was a challenge, but the overall story was great.

Brilliantly written generational saga of an Indigenous American family and the harsh realities of being dispossessed by their subjugators. Coping as best they can in the society they live in, the importance of family support is clearly illustrated.

Well-written and affecting, and ultimately a challenging read about trauma, addiction, and the native american experience. Constant character jumping left development wanting and less interesting as a narrative structure.

This novel is gorgeously written. It tells a powerful and moving story about this nations history. I'm better for having read it. I do wish that the description made it clearer that one needs to read There, There before diving in to this one.

I read about 75 pages, but decided to move on to another book at that time. I loved Orange’s first book, and was sad that I felt unable to full engage in this story. I think it may have been a “right book at the wrong time” situation. The writing was good, but my attention kept wandering. I hope to pick it up again at a later time!

Tommy Orange is a master. As soon as I finished There, There I couldn't wait for the next book. No sophomore slump here. This is perfection. Heartbreaking perfection

Thanks to the publisher for access to this fantastic follow-up to There There. This book explores the origins of that book and picks up in the second half where There There left off. I found the first part of the book a bit slow but loved the second half.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because it deserves it.

This follow up to There There delivered in all the ways I wanted it to. The end of There There left things feeling unfinished and unresolved, by design I suspect. The first half of Wandering Stars brings us back for a multigenerational look at how we got to the Big Oakland Powwow in There There. The second half of Wandering Stars picks up where There There left off, following several of our characters in the aftermath of the Big Oakland Powwow.

The aftermath was not pretty, and this was a difficult and emotional read just like There There. We see generations of a family struggling with addiction, PTSD, feelings of not belonging, just to name a few. While the road to get there is brutal, it’s important and leads us to what I felt was a satisfying end.

Tommy Orange’s writing style feels unique in that it shifts from a traditional storytelling to moments of more poetic prose and then sometimes streams of consciousness that I had to go back and read multiple times to fully digest what the character was thinking and feeling. This book will make you feel for and with these characters, and that’s what makes it important. These are characters and stories that will stick with you.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage & Anchor for the advanced reader electronic copy of this book.

This is a multi-generational story of a family dealing with historical and generational trauma about what is has and does mean to be Native American in American society.