Wandering Stars: A Novel
In a novel that is by turns shattering and wondrous, Tommy Orange has conjured the ancestors of the family readers first fell in love with in There There—warriors, drunks, outlaws, addicts—asking what it means to be the children and grandchildren of massacre. Wandering Stars is a novel about epigenetic and generational trauma that has the force and vision of a modern epic, an exceptionally powerful new book from one of the most exciting writers at work today and soaring confirmation of Tommy Orange’s monumental gifts.
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Community Reviews
Wandering Star was such an enlightening book. The story of the Bear Shield-Red Feather family, shows strength, will and endurance. At the same time, heartbreaking, as we would never hear these stories in a classroom.
We meet Jude Star in 1864 in Colorado. His family and people were killed and brutalized in the Sand Creek Massacre. The Sand Creek was a massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U.S. Army. When a 675-man force of the Third Colorado Cavalry under the command of Colonel John Chivington attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado Territory, killing and mutilating an estimated 600 Native American people. Chivington claimed 500 to 600 warriors were killed, about two-thirds of whom were women and children. He and another young man survived this attack and now are having to figure out what to do next. This is when he and his friend are taken to Fort Marion Prison Castle. Here Star if forced to forget his indigenous beliefs, traditions and language. Instead they are forced to learn English and practice Christianity.
When Star is finally able to leaves the Fort Marion Prison Castle in Florida. We see how he navigates life on his own and how he now sees the world.
This was a great book. I would recommend this to any reader. You don’t have to be a historical fiction reader to get so much out of this book. This writing was so poetic and has such a beautiful quality that it will keep you glued to the pages. It is a multigenerational work that spans centuries and shows us the lasting scares that are passed down to each person.
We meet Jude Star in 1864 in Colorado. His family and people were killed and brutalized in the Sand Creek Massacre. The Sand Creek was a massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U.S. Army. When a 675-man force of the Third Colorado Cavalry under the command of Colonel John Chivington attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado Territory, killing and mutilating an estimated 600 Native American people. Chivington claimed 500 to 600 warriors were killed, about two-thirds of whom were women and children. He and another young man survived this attack and now are having to figure out what to do next. This is when he and his friend are taken to Fort Marion Prison Castle. Here Star if forced to forget his indigenous beliefs, traditions and language. Instead they are forced to learn English and practice Christianity.
When Star is finally able to leaves the Fort Marion Prison Castle in Florida. We see how he navigates life on his own and how he now sees the world.
This was a great book. I would recommend this to any reader. You don’t have to be a historical fiction reader to get so much out of this book. This writing was so poetic and has such a beautiful quality that it will keep you glued to the pages. It is a multigenerational work that spans centuries and shows us the lasting scares that are passed down to each person.
This is an incredibly sad story about the mistreatment of our Native Americans. It begins with with Jude Star who witnesses the Sand Creek Massacre, the slaughter of the buffalo, and injustice at the Carlisle School. It continues with the story of his son, Charlie, and then Charlie's daughter. There is also the point of view of the white man who ran the Carlisle school. As a former history teacher I know a lot about this period, but it is still difficult to hear the stories of how these people were stripped of their dignity over and over again. It is one of those books that makes you a bit uncomfortable, but tells a story that needs to be told.
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