The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
In Wandering Stars, by Tommy Orange, one of his characters says: Stories do more than comfort. They take you away and bring you back better made. The big question being asked in this teaching is this: What happens when you cannot be taken away because you are too confused by the structure?
(From Publisher): The eagerly awaited follow-up to Pulitzer Prize-finalist Tommy Orange’s breakout best seller There,There —winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, the John Leonard Prize, the American Book Award, and one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2018— Wandering Stars traces the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School through to the shattering aftermath of Orvil Red Feather’s shooting in There,There.
Colorado,1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion Prison Castle, where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an institution dedicated to the eradication of Native history, culture, and identity. A generation later, Star’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by the man who was once his father’s jailer. Under Pratt’s harsh treatment, Charles clings to moments he shares with a young fellow student, Opal Viola, as the two envision a future away from the institutional violence that follows their bloodlines.
Oakland, 2018. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield is barely holding her family together after the shooting that nearly took the life of her nephew Orvil. From the moment he awakens in his hospital bed, Orvil begins compulsively googling school shootings on YouTube. He also becomes emotionally reliant on the prescription medications meant to ease his physical trauma. His younger brother, Lony, suffering from PTSD, is struggling to make sense of the carnage he witnessed at the shooting by secretly cutting himself and enacting blood rituals that he hopes will connect him to his Cheyenne heritage. Opal is equally adrift, experimenting with Ceremony and peyote, searching for a way to heal her wounded family.
Extending his constellation of narratives into the past and future, Tommy Orange once again delivers a story that is by turns shattering and wondrous, a book piercing in its poetry, sorrow, and rage—a masterful follow-up to his already-classic first novel, and a devastating indictment of America’s war on its own people.
Reviews on Goodreads:
One Star/LAURA – 400 reviews: Tommy Orange includes everything in this novel. The Sand Creek Massacre, Indian boarding schools, abhorrent US policies towards Native people, forced assimilation, displaced peoples, adoption, and religious extremism, and school shootings, and LGBTQIA+ issues, and inner city violence, and physical disability, and Neo Nazis, and lost ancestry, and rehab, and, and, and, and, and…. Why write one refined, focused, superior book when you can write thirty-four terrible books and mash them all together?
Most of this is largely presented to the reader in a sensitivity-numbing exposition dump. Lately, when I encounter excesses of exposition, I think of Dan Levy’s mini-rant to Elvis Mitchell on The Treatment (shake it, don’t break it): “I just have such an aversion to exposition. It creeps me out. Feeling inclined to have characters describe themselves. It’s like the least realistic thing. Nobody does it. It’s the show don’t tell. So, for me, the big challenge is doing my best to show the characters for who they are, flaws and all, without having them proclaim it. They can proclaim it in other ways. They can proclaim it in a variety of ways… but without explicitly saying so.” Tommy Orange’s characters explicitly say everything.
Three Stars/Liz – 2500 reviews: I had mixed thoughts about There, There. So I was curious to see what Tommy Orange would do for his sophomore effort. Again, I’m of a mixed mind. The story is beautifully written. And there were multiple phrases that made me stop and think. I was highlighting massive sections of the book. But it feels like a scattergun approach, snippets of stories rather than a rock solid plot. The problem is I tend to like more cohesion, more plot development. Beginning in 1864 with the Sand Creek Massacre, it follows generations until it reaches Orvil Red Feather, from There, There. But it’s not necessary to have read There, There. Things do become more cohesive in the second half, as the book concentrates on the most recent three generations of the family. It’s a story of various addictions, shootings, tribulations, religions. Each generation suffers from the sins of the past. We hear from multiple characters, including General Pratt who ran the prison and founded The Carlisle Indian School. It’s about finding one’s identity. And I can’t fault the character development. Orange gives us an in depth look of Opal, Orvil and Lony. But so much of the book concentrated on getting high which I just struggled with. I would say if you liked There, There, you will like this book. If you weren’t a big fan of it, steer clear of this one.
4.5 stars/Katie B – 1500 reviews: Wandering Stars is the follow up novel to Tommy Orange’s award winning book, There There. I highly recommend reading the books in order rather than attempting to do a standalone read with Wandering Stars. That way you can fully appreciate the depth of the characters and story. The author’s books should be required reading. They provide an opportunity to learn about Native history in a more accurate light than the education I received at school as a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s. I’ll try to tiptoe around spoilers for those who haven’t read There, There yet but Wandering Stars shows what happened to some of the characters who attended the Big Oakland Powwow. It also goes back to the 1800s and features some of the ancestors of the current day characters. It really drives home the point how a person is shaped by previous generations and the horrific treatment of Natives by the US government and its people continues to impact the descendants. Addiction is a topic that is thoroughly explored in this book and yet another thing that gives it substance. Both books are important reads and I highly recommend checking them out.
Intentionality vs. Accessibility
Love it, hate it, don’t get it, gave up, couldn’t put it down, am going back to read it again. The first and most important question is this: What did you think of Wandering Stars? Share in the comments below and be honest. That’s the only way it works here at the Studio. Share your truth about your experience. If you don’t want to post, come to class with a paragraph write up about your reading experience. Set your response to the side.
What is this book?
Orange, himself says it is a historical book that follows a linear time line from that perspective, that all the characters are connected as generational members of a family and that a lot of characters are returns from There, There. In the end, Wandering Stars is three things then: A prequel, sequel and a standalone piece. WDigest Articles here.
So, while there is (in Orange’s vision of the work) continuity here (historic, generational, previous book) for the reader it might have a different quality (or at least it did for me) which was that it read like a series of character sketches presented in a fragmented style. I needed a map (there is one in the front of the book) and he used time markers to help the reader as well, but I needed one that was even more specific because I was lost early on. I couldn’t track and frankly, I have to wonder if that confusion was the point of his writing. Is Orange taking on something he wants you to work hard at? Is he wanting you to struggle against your ideas about this part of American history? Does he want to basically crowbar our lifelong education about this part of the past open?
“…the way Native people feel history, I think, is different than [how] other people feel it. Part of that has to do with the institutionalized way we talk about American history and the absence of Native people from that teaching and from the conversation. It makes the past felt more than if we did…For Americans to think of the country or how we did or did not get through the ugliness of genocide and the removal of people and all the different things that have been done, we don’t have any version of that. Instead, we actually skip over – you hear about the Indians and the pilgrims and then in institutions, as it’s taught to this day, you don’t really hear anything. That absence is really felt as much as a bullet that stays in you.”
I’m not saying he does, but I think it’s an interesting question. A few other reasons Orange wrote in this manner (multiple POV and crossing huge swaths of time):
- First, it is reminiscent of Orange’s style in “There, There.” Remember, this is the prequel to that book.
- As a deliberate narrative choice that represents the diversity and complexity of Native American experience and reflect themes of diaspora, disconnection, or the complexity of modern Native American identity.
- Perhaps he wants the reader to experience confusion and still, because of the current push for understanding, work harder to get closer to the characters and their experiences—actually feeling the frustration and lack of understanding experienced by Native people?
Notable work using a similar narrative techniques to critical/commercial success.
“Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell (2004):
- Structure: Six interconnected stories across different time periods and styles.
- Similarity: Complex narrative with multiple characters and storylines that can be challenging to follow.
- Success: Critically acclaimed, adapted into a film, praised for its ambitious structure.
“A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan (2010):
- Structure: A series of interconnected stories with different characters and time periods.
- Similarity: Character sketches that build a larger narrative tapestry.
- Success: Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, praised for its innovative structure.
“Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace (1996):
- Structure: Sprawling narrative with numerous characters and plot lines.
- Similarity: Often described as challenging to read due to its complexity.
- Success: Cult classic, widely regarded as a significant work of postmodern literature.
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Díaz (2007):
- Structure: Multiple narrators and timelines exploring Dominican-American experience.
- Similarity: Uses fragmented narratives to convey cultural complexity.
- Success: Won the Pulitzer Prize, praised for its unique voice and structure.
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison (1987)
- Structure: Non-linear narrative with multiple perspectives and timelines.
- Similarity: Deals with complex themes of cultural identity and historical trauma.
- Success: Won the Pulitzer Prize, widely considered a masterpiece of American literature.
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez (1967):
- Structure: Multi-generational saga with numerous characters sharing similar names.
- Similarity: Can be challenging to follow but conveys a rich cultural tapestry.
- Success: A landmark of magical realism, hugely influential in world literature.
“As I Lay Dying” by William Faulkner (1930):
- Structure: 59 chapters narrated by 15 different characters.
- Similarity: Uses multiple perspectives to create a complex narrative.
- Success: Considered a classic of modernist literature.
These books, with their complex structures, have been recognized for pushing the boundaries of narrative form. They demonstrate the power of storytelling to humanize, educate, and challenge prevailing narratives which is part of the current movement towards inclusivity and diversity and the push for equality. While this trend has gained particular momentum in recent decades, with publishers and readers increasingly recognizing the value of diverse voices, it’s important to point out that writers from underrepresented groups have always been telling their stories and pre-datei this trend:
A Tapestry of Voices: The Rich History of Diverse Literature
Contemporary:
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Representing modern Nigerian experiences.
- Junot Díaz: Exploring Dominican-American identity.
- Jhumpa Lahiri: Portraying Indian-American immigrant experiences.
- Sandra Cisneros: Depicting Chicana and Mexican-American life.
20th Century Pioneers:
- Zora Neale Hurston: Chronicling African-American experiences in the rural South.
- James Baldwin: Examining race and sexuality in America.
- Maxine Hong Kingston: Blending Chinese-American experiences with mythology.
- Scott Momaday: Early voice in Native American literature renaissance.
Historical Context:
- Slave Narratives (18th-19th centuries): First-person accounts giving voice to enslaved people.Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s): Explosion of African-American literature and art.
- Post-Colonial Literature (mid-20th century onwards): Writers from former colonies telling their own stories.
Global Perspectives:
- Salman Rushdie: Blending Indian and Western cultural narratives.
- Chinua Achebe: Countering Western narratives about Africa.
- Mo Yan: Representing rural Chinese life to a global audience.
Genre Fiction:
- Octavia Butler: Bringing diverse characters to science fiction.
- Walter Mosley: Introducing African-American protagonists in detective fiction.
Youth Literature:
- Sherman Alexie: Writing for young adult audiences about Native American experiences.
- Angie Thomas: Addressing racial issues in contemporary YA fiction.
Memoir and Non-Fiction:
- Maya Angelou: Using autobiography to explore race and gender.
- Ta-Nehisi Coates: Examining race in America through personal and historical lenses.
In the context of Tommy Orange’s work, well, he’s part of a wave of contemporary Native American authors bringing nuanced, modern perspectives.
Questions for the Aspiring Writer:
- In what ways does your own identity influence the characters you create?
- How comfortable are you with experimenting with non-linear or fragmented narratives in your writing?
- Imagine your ideal reader: What do you want them to feel or understand after reading your work? How can you shape your writing to achieve this?
