Tommy Orange: There there (AudiobookFormat, 2018)
[sound recording] :
English language
Published Nov. 6, 2018
Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame in Oakland. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life together after his uncle's death and has come to work the powwow and to honor his uncle's memory. Edwin Black has come to find his true father. Thomas Frank has come to drum the Grand Entry. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil Red Feather; Orvil has taught himself Indian dance through YouTube videos, and he has come to the Big Oakland Powwow to dance in public for the very first time. Tony Loneman is a young Native American boy whose future seems destined to be as bleak as his past, and he has come to the Powwow with darker intentions.
The characters are rich and compelling, the timeline spans generations, and the threads all tie together. Just wonderful storytelling all around.
I learned about this book because the author came to my school freshman year. I didn't get one of the free copies they were giving out at the time, but it stayed on my mind and I saw it as an audiobook so I figured I'd check it out. Oh boy, what a journey, harder and harder to put down. If you're familiar with "The Overstory" by Richard Powers, you're introduced to several different characters with some common themes that link them to a major event—that is what came to mind when reading this book structure wise. I never finished "the Overstory" and I wouldn't compare the plot otherwise. For "There There", the final event, as well as things that happen to characters of various indigenous descent, all connected to Oakland, will sit with you for a long time. It's different from other books by indigenous folx, I've read with …
I learned about this book because the author came to my school freshman year. I didn't get one of the free copies they were giving out at the time, but it stayed on my mind and I saw it as an audiobook so I figured I'd check it out. Oh boy, what a journey, harder and harder to put down. If you're familiar with "The Overstory" by Richard Powers, you're introduced to several different characters with some common themes that link them to a major event—that is what came to mind when reading this book structure wise. I never finished "the Overstory" and I wouldn't compare the plot otherwise. For "There There", the final event, as well as things that happen to characters of various indigenous descent, all connected to Oakland, will sit with you for a long time. It's different from other books by indigenous folx, I've read with an emphasis on cultural loss/revitalization/reclamation in an urban context. It reminds me more of what I've heard from indigenous podcasts about current indigenous issues. I really enjoyed the role of grandmothers in this book as well.
Wonderful, insightful writing on a depressing, yet important topic. My favorite part of the book was the "Blood" section of the "Interlude".
There There weaves together a wonderfully complex cast of characters that you don't find in your typical novel, connecting them in unexpected ways. This is a book to read to understand the characters and what they say about life in America today. Very highly recommended
Wow, those first-person death scenes were intimate.
Good read. Fascinating portraits. I am listening to stories I don’t know, learning bit by bit
This is a compelling, well-written book with enough suspense to keep the reader turning the pages.
Orange has created real and gritty, yet sympathetic, characters. There is a web of connections joining the characters and leading them to the ultimate gathering--The Big Oakland Powwow and the book's Shakespearian conclusion.
My biggest issue with the book is that it focused on too many different characters, and I found it confusing. I couldn't keep track of them. Also, this made it more like a collection of short stories that tied together than a novel. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it may not be to everyone's taste.
3+
3+
