Comments (98)

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Mar 18, 2024
Great article in NYT about author visiting HS classroom who HUGELY ID’d with author’s story! Author almost won Pulitzer for this.
Mar 06, 2024MichelleSkelton603 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Tommy Orange's "There, There" is a profound exploration of Native American life in urban Oakland, artfully presented through the interlocking stories of 12 distinct characters. Each narrative strand serves as a piece of kindling, initially…
Mar 03, 2024beetlebaily rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Very powerful book. Very well written. Tough to read. The incredibly sad story of modern day American indigenous peoples, completely lost, everything beaten out of them. No good ending to look forward to. The worst part is that this…
Dec 01, 2023joyful2743 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A very raw telling of the urban Native American's experience. Difficult to comprehend the story with the multiple characters and their intertwined relationships. And the ending is not pleasant.
Nov 30, 2023Pierotti rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
This book represents an unfortunate trend in Native American literature, i.e. the loser Indian syndrome. The 12 characters in this book are all failures in various ways, and more than a few of them are criminals. In a way this book…
Nov 09, 2023CPLannie rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
It's a happening!
Oct 19, 2023
An acclaimed debut from Native American, writer Tommy Orange. This popular novel follows the intersecting lives of Natives in 21st century USA. Since 2018, Tommy Orange has won the John Leonard prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the…
Oct 04, 2023TeaFloyd rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The ending was extremely powerful. To be put in and taken out of their lives in such a fashion is vicious. To have their reunions happen so quickly and end even quicker just leave me extremely sad and believe it might have been better if…
Jun 08, 2023RebelBelle13 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This was a powerful and heartbreaking window into the lives of modern, urban, indigenous peoples. There There chronicles the lives of a dozen indigenous peoples who live in or are connected to the area of Oakland, California. They are…
Mar 21, 2023Lonewolfmx rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved the book in English read both the book & listened to the e-Audiobook and found out there there was a Spanish version titled Ni de Aquí Ni de Alla & hoped it would enjoyable & engaging as the English version, but… The Spanish…
Jan 29, 2023mebacher rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I needed more closure at the end of this book but otherwise would highly recommend.
Jan 26, 2023
If you are wondering if this book lives up to the hype - it absolutely does. There is so much to think about and discuss making it the perfect book club selection.
Jan 24, 2023stutipandey702 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A wonderful read, but definitely requires patience. There There captures the plurality—the fractures—of a Native American community displaced by the imposition of the American vision. In the beginning, I felt incredibly confused, as the…
Nov 27, 2022mayaande rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
age 15+ “To cry is to waste the feeling. He needs to dance with it.” There There explores characters of various identities and their journeys in connecting to each other and their culture. While I found the shifting perspectives…
Sep 29, 2022GPL_Adult rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Exceptionally powerful writing, made all the more impressive by Orange's ability to easily juggle a dozen characters in less than 300 pages. It can be a touch confusing when we return to someone we haven't seen or heard mentioned in a…
Feb 03, 2022SnoIsleLib_BenM rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heart-wrenching and powerful, a diverse cast of characters struggle to embrace their cultural heritage and establish their own identities as they all spiral toward a Powwow celebration in modern day Oakland.
Oct 27, 2021rjramirez rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A collection of interrelated stories set in Oakland, California, There There charts the inner lives of twelve Native Americans as they prepare for the impending Big Oakland Powwow. Orange hops from perspective to perspective, weaving…
Oct 19, 2021maipenrai rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I was puzzled by the title of this excellent book by a Native American author. My first interpretation was that they were words of comfort - what one might say to a child or adult in psychological pain. Then I learned that this quote is…
Jun 16, 2021bogwolf rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Been a couple years. I didn't realize I hadn't reviewed this at the time. There There kicked my ass, in a good way. The linking stories of Bay Area Native youth full of anger and hope and loss and ambition and depression... many voices,…
Apr 30, 2021rclane rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great ensemble with some fabulously flawed characters. Recommended!
Feb 25, 2021heatherbrenner rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
The prologue and interlude were stunning. I loved the part of the book when he mentioned the hors d'oeuvre and fluff. It really made me think. The only thing I didn't like about this book I think was how many characters there were. There…
Feb 10, 2021512cadcock rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Not a leisurely pleasurable read but an eye opening read that challenges stereotypes of Native American people. Tells the story of a tragedy through multiple points of view in a way that highlights both the connectedness and…
Dec 17, 2020
12 urban Indians are headed to the Big Oakland Powwow each with their own motivations. We learn about them in eponymous segments wedged between essays on American history. Poignant, harrowing, difficult, funny, tragic, eye opening, all…
Nov 28, 2020Irzabeta rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
What an incredible, intense reading experience! This book follows a group of interrelated Native American characters who all converge at a pow wow in Oakland, CA. Each character's story highlights the challenges of being Native American…
Oct 18, 2020pokano rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
In There, There, the author weaves a collection of stories about fictional Native Americans who live primarily in Oakland into a novel. Each character illustrates various issues that urban Native Americans might face--substance abuse,…