Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ambershelf 's review for:
Wandering Stars
by Tommy Orange
gifted by the publisher
STARS consists of two parts. Part 1 follows the Red Feather family through generations, where readers spend little time with each character. Part 2 picks up immediately after THERE THERE and focuses on Orvil & his brothers.
With his signature style, Orange pulls no punches in examining "surviving survival" in the Indigenous community across time. After genocides, massacres, and the Indian boarding schools, there are still poverty, mass shootings, and addiction. How does one not just survive but thrive? That's the central topic Orange explores in STARS via multiple lenses.
STARS reminds me of a quote about how "sometimes we can only save ourselves in the face of insurmountable pain, and even that is enough." Especially toward the end of STARS, this revelation made me sob. As bleak as the themes are, I loved the ending and how Orange ties in the idea that sometimes we must wander to come home into the story.
Stylistically, parts 1 & 2 seem a bit jarring when read as a single book. I wonder if reading part 1, followed by THERE THERE, and then returning to part 2 will provide a smoother transition. Additionally, while part 1 can be read as a standalone, I'm not sure if the emotional impact will be the same in part 2 without having read THERE THERE first.
Overall, while the format is a bit awkward, STARS is a phenomenal read for fans of THERE THERE, and I can see both books becoming modern classics in American literature.
STARS consists of two parts. Part 1 follows the Red Feather family through generations, where readers spend little time with each character. Part 2 picks up immediately after THERE THERE and focuses on Orvil & his brothers.
With his signature style, Orange pulls no punches in examining "surviving survival" in the Indigenous community across time. After genocides, massacres, and the Indian boarding schools, there are still poverty, mass shootings, and addiction. How does one not just survive but thrive? That's the central topic Orange explores in STARS via multiple lenses.
STARS reminds me of a quote about how "sometimes we can only save ourselves in the face of insurmountable pain, and even that is enough." Especially toward the end of STARS, this revelation made me sob. As bleak as the themes are, I loved the ending and how Orange ties in the idea that sometimes we must wander to come home into the story.
Stylistically, parts 1 & 2 seem a bit jarring when read as a single book. I wonder if reading part 1, followed by THERE THERE, and then returning to part 2 will provide a smoother transition. Additionally, while part 1 can be read as a standalone, I'm not sure if the emotional impact will be the same in part 2 without having read THERE THERE first.
Overall, while the format is a bit awkward, STARS is a phenomenal read for fans of THERE THERE, and I can see both books becoming modern classics in American literature.