This multigenerational tale begins with the story of Jude Star, a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 who was sent to the Fort Marion Prison Castle. Star’s son was forced to attend one of the schools organized in the US to separate Native Americans from their heritage and where they were the victims of inhumane treatment. The narrative continues on with further relatives and acquaintances. Those who have read Orange’s Pulitzer Prize nominated There There will already be familiar with one of the characters.

Beautifully written and recounted through multiple POVs, there is important history here as well as the bonds of family, heritage, and identity, the devastation of loss, the ravages of addiction.

This book and Orange’s writing style won’t be for everyone, but it is a very worthwhile read. In these days of politicians attempting to rewrite, ignore, or ban history, works such as this that preserve the reality of the treatment of our native population and the legacy of that treatment are incredibly valuable.

3.5, rounded down. Like <i>The Godfather, Part 2</i>, <i>Wandering Stars</i> is both a prequel and a sequel to Orange's much-garlanded 2018 debut [book:There There|36692478].

While Orange is undeniably talented, this is a 5-star historical prelude to a 3-star contemporary realist novel. <i>Wandering Stars</i> is really two discrete pieces of fiction that develop the same theme of addiction amongst many generations of the same native Cheyenne family, who have survived the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre by the U.S. Army, re-education in government schools in the early 20th century.

Orange affectingly chronicles their gradual and forcible process of being severed off from their culture, heritage, and sense of individual and collective identity. Their family bonds fray and crack under the strain of addiction, and their children suffer from abandonment, as earlier generations turn to alcohol to fill the ensuing void, and their contemporary descendants are hooked on prescription opiates.

The first part of the novel is breathtaking, consisting of a powerful Greek-chorus prelude, followed by short and powerful chapters chronicling the trauma and adaptation of a Native father and son. Jude Star, a massacre survivor is deported to a military prison-school in Fort Marion, Florida, and his son Charles endures and escapes from a regimented childhood in the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. Both institutions are run by the brutal and domineering <a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Henry_Pratt>Richard Henry Pratt</a>, who becomes a fictionalized character that allows Orange to probe the consciousness of white racism.

The remaining two-thirds of the novel revisit the protagonists of <i>There There</i> in a working-class neighborhood of Oakland, after Orvil Red Feather, a distant descendant of the family, has been shot at a powwow.

The structure here is much looser and baggier, and Orange is content to let the reader hang out and observe characters for which he has great empathy: Orvil's long-suffering and saintly almost-grandmother Opal, and his video-game-addicted brothers Lony and Loother. But the focus drifts and drifts, encompassing the occupation of Alcatraz in 1969 and the tech-boom gentrification of the Bay Area. The political monologues he gives his characters are preachy and a little too on-the-nose.

What made <i>There There</i> such a tense and immersive reading experience is the way that Orange ratcheted up the tension in a Tarantino-esque way until an explosion of violence. But the second part of <i>Wandering Starts</i> just sputters out, with a subplot about a wealthy White dad running a pill factory in the basement of his house up in the Oakland Hills, and Orvil becoming a dealer and user.

<i>Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.</i>

This is a very heavy book - both from the perspective of the subject and the writing. I struggled with it a bit though. No doubt the author is very talented and deserves all the praise they get but the subject was probably too heartbreaking for me.

I didn't realize that it was a sequel so that took away some of the joy in reading.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction + Literary Fiction

"Wandering Stars" is a book that examines the complicated history and traumatic experiences of Native American families in the United States of America. It is a multi-generational work that spans centuries and is rich in content. The novel begins with the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and continues up to the present day, weaving together the stories of many different characters who struggle with the repercussions of colonialism, forced assimilation, and intergenerational trauma.

At the beginning of the book, there is a terrifying event called the Sand Creek Massacre. Star, a Cheyenne warrior, is present during this event and witnesses the brutal slaughter of his people. He escapes and is imprisoned at Fort Marion, where he encounters Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard obsessed with "civilizing" Native American people.

From that point on, we follow all of the various characters and the difficulties, challenges, and obstacles that they encounter throughout the various eras. Until now, I was completely unaware that this was a part of a series. Since I have not read "There, There," I am unsure how my evaluation of this book would have been affected if I had read that book. This writing is so lyrical and has such a beautiful quality. No matter how much I praise the author’s prose, I don't think it would do him justice.

I could tell I was going to adore this book the moment I started it. The historical portions in the first half, though, are the most interesting and impactful, in my opinion. I simply would have preferred it if the story had narrowed its focus to that period and introduced fewer characters so that I could relate to them better. I think that would have made it a five-star book for me.

There is more to Wandering Stars than just a story about adversity. Additionally, it is a demonstration of the unwavering fortitude, resiliency, and love that serve as the glue that holds the Bear Shield-Red Feather family together. The author begins this book by delving deeply into the dark history of the United States of America, specifically, the genocide that was committed against the Indians, or what we now refer to as Native Americans, and how this genocide continues to have an impact on the generations that have survived it. Not only does this matter greatly from a historical perspective, but it is also relevant to the present day because genocide is occurring elsewhere under the guise of "war" and everyone is obliviously watching as if it were a fascinating circus.

The fact that this book explores topics that some people may find unsettling and problematic makes it an extremely important piece of literature. It is necessary, however, to tell stories such as that, and we must continue to remind people of the past for them to comprehend how they should behave in the present and the future. It is imperative that everyone is aware of topics such as the legacy of colonialism and the ongoing impact it has had on Indigenous communities. Moreover, the book delves deeply into the significance of cultural identity and the difficulties of recovering it following centuries of suppression.

This is not a book to be read for entertainment purposes, but rather to understand history and empathize with the people who have endured and continue to endure great hardship and suffering.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

A difficult read as the US government's treatment of American Indians is laid out in the way
the characters in the book have been affected .Children were take away from their parents,
sent to school and abused is heart wrenching, as is the effort to erase any trace of their native
language, culture and heritage.
#Wandering Stars #NetGalley

I almost didn't take this book. I made the mistake of reading There There as an audiobook. And that book is very difficult to follow on audio. I did like it, however, so I decided to give the sequel a try. And I am glad that I did because the sequel is possibly better.

In the sequel to There There, we have the same family of characters, mostly dealing with the aftermath of what happened in the first book (maybe you do need to read that first, but I'm not entirely convinced). The major theme of the book is addiction and how people deal with it, not just as active participants, but how it affects your loved ones. And it is all told from the perspective of a group of people dealing with identity and generational trauma. It sounds heavy, and maybe it is, but the way the author has written the characters, it is not nearly as dark as it sounds.

I definitely recommend this one. And also read the first book, but definitely do the print version.

I was looking forward to reading this book, and thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC. I think it's very important to bring attention to the atrocities the US government carried out on Native Americans and the trauma experienced by multi-generations.
The criticism is not about the writing but that I feel it just isn't my preference. I felt that this book consists of a lot of short stories rather than an easy flowing plot, feeling disconnected among the many characters. Also at fault is that I did not read There There and did not realize this book really is a sequel to that, so I did not have the foundation for someone who did read There There. I have always been interested in learning more about the history of the Native Americans and their struggles so I may go back to read There There.

I quite enjoyed There There when I read it several years ago. I thought it to be an interesting and carefully crafted story. This continues with the Wandering Stars, which follows some of the ancestors of the characters in There There to present day. I still think that it's well crafted and written, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as There There. I wanted to absolutely love it, but while I was able to appreciate the work and effort that went into it didn't touch me emotionally as much as the first one. I think that most readers that love other works by Orange will also love this. It just didn't quite evoke the same feelings for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was a challenge to get through for me. I wasn’t inclined to pick it up and would put off reading. However, I think this is a me thing. I read There There and found it okay. I just don’t think this author is for me. I can see why people love this book and Tommy Orange’s writing because it is beautiful.

The jump between characters and timelines was a bit confusing for me. I don't think we were able to spend enough time with each character to fully connect with them. All of this being said, I’m sure I am one of the few people who didn’t love this.

(3.75 strs)This is my first time reading Tommy Orange's work. Wandering Stars shares a complex and hauntingly beautiful telling of the children forced to attend Carlisle boarding schools and how their trauma impacted their families and communities for generations to come. While thought-provoking and poignant, the writing can be challenging to understand as it reads as a stream of consciousness. Overall, I enjoyed Wandering Stars.

I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.

Just WoW! What an amazing author…loved how creative and thoughtfully written this story is.

I didn’t know this is a follow up/sequel to Tommy Orange’s book There There when I requested to review the book before its publication date via Netgalley. I am very much looking forward to borrowing There There from my library.


WanderingStars
#NetGalley
#goodreads

Tommy Orange is such a distinctive writer, with so much to say. Wandering Stars is, like his first book, There There, a powerful story of the generational tribulations and trauma of Native American people. I loved how this book was structured, telling the stories of each generation of one family. The last section told the story of the present-day generation, and delved into gun violence and the opioid crisis, and was beautiful and terrible at the same time. It's definitely not a light or easy read, but I think Wandering Stars is another important book from a treasure of an author.

This book is heavy both in content and writing. Unfortunately, I was only able to make it through 29% before I DNFed. I don’t think this book is bad, and the idea behind it is a good story to tell, it just was not for me, unfortunately.

There is no doubt that Tommy Orange is a great writer and there will be people out there who love this book, it’s just not up my alley.

"If they survived, made lives and families and homes, it was because of this and only this: Such Indian children were made to carry more than they were made to carry."

Surviving genocide is an interesting way to game the system, but as one of the characters points out in this book: "To endure or pass through endurance test after endurance test only ever gave you endurance test passing abilities." Which is to say that for years Native people have been in survival mode only. This book is Tommy Orange's continuation of There There. It continues the story of Orvil Red Feather and his family, and how they survive again. The story begins with the survival story of Orvil's ancestors, who escape the Sand Creek Massacre, only to see their children sent to boarding schools, who see their children taken by childless white people, who see their children become addicted to heroin, who see their children survive a mass shooting. By the time Orvil and his brothers are the latest generation, they are dealing with years and years of generational trauma, to say nothing of how they must learn to process the world. Similarly to There There, this book is not easy to read, but I saw so much of the lives of my family and friends reflected in these stories.

The act of surviving is not easy, but eventually it means that writers can write a story for their fellow survivals to read and take comfort in, especially in these days as we are witnessing the attempted genocide of the Palestinians.

An ambitious literary work that gives a new take on a multigenerational story.

Told across a range of different time periods, settings, and perspectives, "Wandering Stars" begins with the story of Jude Star after he survives the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and carries through to 2018 Oakland, California - where Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield is doing her best to just keep her head above water, unaware that her nephew has discovered a new fascination with school shootings and death after barely surviving one himself. In between these timelines, we're also introduced to the different family members and storylines that link these individuals together - including Bear Shields and his daughter Opal, Charles Star, Jacquie, and more.

There's a lot that this novel speaks to, covering the tragic and inhumane treatment of Native Americans and the forced "assimilation" of children in boarding schools; the longstanding presence of alcohol and drug addiction; grief and loss; identity and sexuality; and the ways that generational trauma persists over time. Tommy Orange has crafted a number of distinct characters and their voices, and manages to hone in on each of their experiences and individual struggles with ease. The diversity and range of his writing style is evident in this novel, especially given all the separate characters in "Wandering Stars". This, however, also is a weakness of the novel and my main difficulty with getting through it. There are just so many storylines and individuals to keep track of, especially as the time periods and perspectives are not written in a linear way. It also makes it difficult to really get to know and develop a connection with any character(s) either, given the limited time and background we get on each of them.

my first read of 2024 & @netgalley review! ✨

WANDERING STARS is Tommy Orange’s second novel in his There, There series. There, There followed characters through the days leading up to The Big Oakland Powwow. WANDERING STARS picks up where some of the characters left off and explores the aftermath of intergenerational trauma and gun violence-related trauma.

I noted in my review for There, There that I loved Orange’s historical into pages for each chapter. He has a crisp and clear way of communicating historical fact to everyday readers. I was so glad to see that the first two-thirds of this book followed two generations of a family through indigenous historical events: the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the formation of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Following this family over the generations through forced assimilation in many forms was tragically beautiful. The resilience in the characters that Orange built was superb, and his ability to relate history in a meaningful way was *chef’s kiss*.

The last third of the book follows Orvil and his immediate family through the aftermath of The Big Oakland Powwow. Mirroring the trauma of old with the trauma of new, Orvil finds himself addicted to pain medication after his injury. For the rest of the book, we see the impact of this contemporary epidemic on Orvil, his immediate family members, and his community.

A reflection on the cycle of intergenerational trauma, WANDERING STARS was a sophomore novel that, I believe, is superior to its predecessor. Orange matured in his writing style, and the sophistication was palpable. His ability to capture bone-deep trauma in prose is breathtaking.

My one critique would be Orvil’s share of the novel; I felt that it didn’t pack as much of a hard punch as the ancestral chapters. I assume that it might be a set-up for the third novel in this series, so maybe I’m just stuck on a cliffhanger for the foreseeable future. I can assure you that will be waiting for more from Tommy Orange most impatiently.

Thank you to @aaknopf and @netgalley for the early e-copy of this gem! WANDERING STARS will be out 2/27 🤗

I loved There There. It’s one of my all time favorite books. I struggled with Wandering Stars. The writing is good but I felt so lost with all of the characters. Each story was so sad.

Wandering Stars is story about Native American Indians. This is a multi-generational novel about the Shield and Star families. Wisely, there is a family tree at the beginning of the book which was a valuable resource. Each character is developed very well, and the reader is able to understand the complexity of each personality. The trials of life for each generation is insightful. Such as, “the sun to bring with it blue men come to kill and scatter us again, thin us out across the land like the buffalo, chase and starve and round us up…” The reader is introduced to the wars where the Indians fought to maintain their culture, livelihood and land. The author’s approach to the of characters cultural assimilation into the white man’s world and the impact on each family was outstanding.

Factual people, places, and events were brought up throughout the book, such as Richard Henry Pratt and Sand Creek Massacre. If you liked Tommy Orange’s book, “There There,” you will like this book. It is very informative and interesting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book will definitely be in my top reads for 2024! A gorgeously written book about identity, belonging, and family told through a multigenerational POVs. Challenging to read at times (because wow, it is heavy what happens and what has been done throughout history) Add it to your list. You will greatly enjoy this follow up to There, There.

Wandering Stars has both beautiful and heartbreaking circulatory to its story. The majority of the book takes place in modern times, focused on three boys, their great-aunt whom they view as their grandmother, and their actual grandmother. But the story starts with their great-grandfather, who was a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, but a victim of addiction and the desires of white men. Jude disappears on his family when he takes action against white men trying to stop a traditional ceremony. Through the generations, multiple family members battle the discriminations and addictions of their age, be it alcohol, laudanum, or painkillers. For modern-day Orvil, it's painkillers after being a victim of a mass shooting. He slides further into addiction but also connects on a deeper level to the music he loves, not unlike the use of peyote during his great-grandfather Jude’s time for ceremonies. His younger brother Lony is a true old soul and one of the most beautiful characters in the story. I loved his desire to connect with his Cheyenne heritage while worrying about him being “out” of time. Holding the young men of the current time together is Opal, who not only has Orvil and Lony to worry about but also her own cancer diagnosis, and her sister who is recovering from her own battle with addiction. After so many generations before them fought losing battles against white men and addiction, I was desperately hoping for a happier ending for Opal, Orvil, and Lony. There is a lot of sadness in this story, but it is told in a beautiful and thought-provoking way. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.