There There

Tommy Orange’s hometown of Oakland, California provides the backdrop to a powerful debut novel about a contemporary Native American community. Already the subject of a host of critical acclaim in the US, There, There eschews the all-too-familiar clichés of Native American experience, replacing them with a much more complex and multi-layered portrait of individual and collective lives shaped and shattered by centuries of oppression. Above all it is the choral effect of Orange’s polyphonic work that stands out; building to a profound sense of the possibility of hope and compassion amidst the darkness.

'There There drops on us like a thunderclap; the big, booming, explosive sound of 21st century literature finally announcing itself. Essential.' - Marlon James

Jacquie Red Feather and her sister Opal grew up together, relying on each other during their unsettled childhood. As adults they were driven apart, but Jacquie is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind.

That's why she is there. Dene is there because he has been collecting stories to honour his uncle's death. Edwin is looking for his true father. Opal came to watch her boy Orvil dance. All of them are connected by bonds they may not yet understand.

All of them are there for the cultural celebration that is the Big Oakland Powwow. But Tony Loneman is also there. And Tony has come to the Powwow with darker intentions.