Wandering Stars

"This was a great prequel/sequel to There There. Such tough stories of family relationships, addiction and trying to find a place in the world. "

"Tommy Orange is a treasure. His writing has a way of making you feel exactly what his characters are going through while opening your eyes to the true plight of Native Americans. While Wandering Stars is technically a sequel to his outrageous debut There There, this second novel attempts so much more than the first's direct narrative did (ever so well, in my opinion. Wandering Stars is an epic family saga that takes our well-known characters Orvil Red Feather and Opal Bear Shield and pushes back several generations to see where their inherited trauma may have been born. We spend a bit of time with Orvil's great-great grandfather Jude Star, who escapes the Sand Creek Massacre only to wander America until he's captured and sent to Indian school in Florida. His son, Charles Star, is left alone at a young age and also goes to Indian school before escaping west to Oakland. Then we meet to the two generations before Orvil's before catching up with him in the aftermath of the pow-wow shooting. The lion's share of the story is how Orvil is coping as he heals from his wound, which is to say, he isn't, really. I don't want to go into any further detail on the story, but here is where we can see all the damage outlined in the prior generations play out alongside Orvil's very real current traumas. Overall, I really loved this take on the family and how the treatment of Native Americans throughout history is very much affecting those living today. It's heartbreaking yet inspiring to watch individuals struggle and persist despite all they are up against day to day. Thank you to Tommy Orange for this beautiful story, and to Alfred A Knopf and Net Galley for the ARC. I can't recommend enough that we continue to read and support stories of this caliber to continue to better understand each other."

"This book feels like Tommy Orange poured his soul into it. It is effortless to read, deep in its emotion and “hella” smart with its commentary. As someone raised in the Diamond District, I am probably biased because this book featured Kasper’s hotdogs (with cheese) and describes the area and its people with spot on accuracy… but I truly believe that this book is amazing. The story is a continuation of There There but it is more nuanced than just your standard sequel. The book begins as a generational saga that lays the groundwork for what is to come. Starting with the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 we see years of oppression and eradication work its way through the Star/Bear Shield family, leading to lives filled with struggle, addiction and trauma. Ultimately, we end up back with Opal Bear shield and her three Red Feather “grandsons” Lony, Loother, and Orvil, in the aftermath of the big Oakland Powwow. The family is forced to come to grips with their new reality in the face of their own mortality. They each must find out who they are, where they belong and how to get by, all while being haunted by a past that they have never known. This book is beautifully heartbreaking and incredibly real. The hope, rage, love and trauma pour from the pages and make you truly feel all the emotions of the legacy of history. The historical fiction aspects of the book feel well researched and incredibly informative. I felt like I came away from the book having learned something new about American history and the resiliency of Native Americans despite it all. The modern aspects of the book touch on subjects that affect almost everyone in a straightforward manner. There is no sugarcoating of the effects of addiction on the individual, the family or even the community at large. Addiction is not glamorized or vilified it is just laid out as it truly exists. People who enjoyed [b:Martyr!|139400713|Martyr!|Kaveh Akbar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683818219l/139400713._SX50_.jpg|155375386] and [b:There There|36692478|There There|Tommy Orange|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512071034l/36692478._SY75_.jpg|58040066] will also like this book. This book is perfect for people who enjoy books that let them see what life is like in someone else’s shoes.<br/><br/>Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. this book is set to release on February 27th so head to your local independent bookstore or library to reserve a copy today."