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A review by lingfish7
There There by Tommy Orange
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I started listening to this on Thanksgiving and it was the perfect Thanksgiving read to honor the history of indigenous people groups and learn more about “urban Indians.” The prologue of the book actually delves into the true history of thanksgiving, where the original thanksgiving meal was a land deal and the second thanksgiving meal was where 200 Native Americans were purposefully poisoned at the table. The somber tone of the prologue sets the stage for the rest of the fictional story.
The book takes place in Oakland, California and alternates between the POV of 12 different people, all culminating to the powwow event at the ending where their lives intertwine. I thought it would be difficult keeping track of all the different perspectives and characters, but the audiobook actually made this fairly simple by using different voices for each. The book read a little like historical fiction because some of the scenes or memories date back to the 60’s and covered events I had never heard about, like the Alcatraz Occupation of 1969 (a 19-month long protest when 89 Native Americans and their supporters occupied the island of Alcatraz). But most of the perspectives are from “present day” in Oakland, CA.
Many of the stories were heartbreaking and cover the vicious cycle of alcoholism perpetuated by hundreds of years of trauma and genocide. Other stories cover the complexities of belonging and identity with characters who are only half native and are struggling to connect to their ancestry and in the midst of a large city. The ending was wild and abrupt and doesn’t provide closure. I think that’s okay, because it allows the reader to write their own ending and recognize that these stories and people’s struggles are still ongoing. This book was insanely well written, filled to the brim with powerful metaphors, beautiful prose, and authenticity in each story told.
The book takes place in Oakland, California and alternates between the POV of 12 different people, all culminating to the powwow event at the ending where their lives intertwine. I thought it would be difficult keeping track of all the different perspectives and characters, but the audiobook actually made this fairly simple by using different voices for each. The book read a little like historical fiction because some of the scenes or memories date back to the 60’s and covered events I had never heard about, like the Alcatraz Occupation of 1969 (a 19-month long protest when 89 Native Americans and their supporters occupied the island of Alcatraz). But most of the perspectives are from “present day” in Oakland, CA.
Many of the stories were heartbreaking and cover the vicious cycle of alcoholism perpetuated by hundreds of years of trauma and genocide. Other stories cover the complexities of belonging and identity with characters who are only half native and are struggling to connect to their ancestry and in the midst of a large city. The ending was wild and abrupt and doesn’t provide closure. I think that’s okay, because it allows the reader to write their own ending and recognize that these stories and people’s struggles are still ongoing. This book was insanely well written, filled to the brim with powerful metaphors, beautiful prose, and authenticity in each story told.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Alcoholism