I never really enjoyed reading books for school. It always felt like a chore but when There There by Tommy Orange was introduced in my 10th grade English class, I didn’t realize it was going to be one of the best books I have ever read. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions bouncing from sympathy to anger to heartbreak. This book tells the story of multiple generations of Native Americans woven together to tell the history of their nation and their people. The story follows twelve characters who each tell their own story as the gang unites to the Big Oakland Powwow.
Jacqueline Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is trying to clean up his life after the death of his uncle and decides to volunteer at the Big Oakland Powwow to honor his uncle’s death. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil. Orvil has taught himself traditional dances from Youtube videos and comes to the powwow to dance in public for the first time. As a book written from multiple perspectives, the reader is able to have a better understanding of each character. The novel also grapples with addiction, abuse and suicide in the urban Native American society.
When this book was introduced to me, I didn’t know what to expect about it. Most books assigned at school are boring and feel like a burden. Once I started reading this book, I knew it was going to be very captivating. The language used by Tommy Orange was beautiful and the different perspectives made the story interesting and on the edge of your seat the entire time. I never realized that the story being told from different perspectives would allow me to feel so close to the characters. Tommy Orange really showed me how you can invite people into the story and really make them feel a part of it. Even to this day, whenever someone asks me for a book recommendation, There There is one that I always suggest!