I didn’t like this as much as There, There but it was still good. This book was a lot less tense and more about family and friendship relationships in the Native American community, and I found it had a lot looser of a plot. Whilst There, There was always ploughing forward, you are able to meander a lot more with his second novel which will be a delight to real fans of his work. I thought the last 20% of this novel was really emotional and I thought the dealing with drug abuse and addiction was the best part of the book. I think Tommy Orange is a great writer really explores the human condition as well as the Indigenous experience beautifully together.

This is a well researched, exquisitely written, and lyrical examination of the unforgettable brutal, blood soaked legacy and horrors of American history when it comes to Native Americans by the award winning Tommy Orange. It is a painfully challenging read, and not having read There There left me feeling as if there was a significant shortfall in my understanding of this, particularly as there is follow up from it here with the devastating repercussions of Orvil Red Feather's shooting, nevertheless this is a richly rewarding look at different historical periods, family and multigenerational trauma. It goes back to earlier generations and the Colorado 1864 Sand Creek Massacre with ancestor and survivor Jude Star.

We are given a profoundly moving glimpse of the raw terrors, the dehumanising treatment, systematic and savage efforts to extinguish all indigenous sense of history, identity, language and culture, the undermining of self, soul, and identity. It then shifts to 1924 with the son, Charles Star, and the shameful, notorious Carlisle Indian School. Through multiple perspectives through epic periods of time, a picture emerges of what happened and the inevitable stresses that follow. We see the powerful strong links, the struggles, the tragedies, losses, addictions, the threat of fragmentation and separation, the cost of trying to protect and ensure safety, and the nightmare of simply trying to survive.

The trauma unsurprisingly becomes deeply embedded as one generation follows another and we see the emerging and evolving sense of and fight for what it is to be a Native American. Orange is a marvellous storyteller, imparting essential information with his blend of fact and fiction, including the hope and love, whilst throwing a much needed light on the darkest sides of American history and its impact on contemporary indigenous communities. This is a remarkable read, emotionally draining, but a must read, although there were moments and characters I wanted to know more about, and I do want to read There There at some point. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I love reading Tommy Orange books. Their story telling is so vivid for me it’s like watching a movie. The subject matter in this book was tough but I loved being immersed with these characters. I can’t wait for his next book.