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cat_book_lady 's review for:
There There
by Tommy Orange
I truly do understand the importance of telling stories, especially those about a culture that has been wrought with devastation because of others' unforgivable actions against them. This compilation of narratives about Native American Indians is important as well, but honestly they were endless about alcoholism, drugs, gangs, divorce, suicide etc., and they just left me feeling hopeless and disturbed instead of compassionate and caring. I understand that this is what the author wants you to SEE and to FEEL so that you understand the reasons behind their feelings of hopelessness and despair - and in that respect, he succeeded.
Yet at the same time, I felt like I was just listening to the same story over and over. I wanted to hear the beauty of their culture amidst the despair which apparently doesn't exist anymore? Again, maybe the point of the book, but in the end I just felt like I heard the same sad story with just different names attached. Is this all their culture has become? Perhaps, but I sense that there is still beauty there which was not presented. I wanted to see and understand WHY we should appreciate their culture and WHY we should respect their traditions. WHY should we have compassion and see them as beautiful. All we see now is what they have become, not who they used to be, and for me, that is the saddest tale of all.
Yet at the same time, I felt like I was just listening to the same story over and over. I wanted to hear the beauty of their culture amidst the despair which apparently doesn't exist anymore? Again, maybe the point of the book, but in the end I just felt like I heard the same sad story with just different names attached. Is this all their culture has become? Perhaps, but I sense that there is still beauty there which was not presented. I wanted to see and understand WHY we should appreciate their culture and WHY we should respect their traditions. WHY should we have compassion and see them as beautiful. All we see now is what they have become, not who they used to be, and for me, that is the saddest tale of all.