Tommy Orange and His Impact on Native American Literature

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    Tommy Orange is an American author who was born and raised in Oakland, California. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Orange earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts. His writing focuses on Native American identity, family, history, and the experiences of Indigenous people living in modern society. He wants readers to understand that Native American stories are still being created today and are not just part of the past.

 There There

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    Orange published his first novel, There There, in 2018 (1). The book follows twelve Native American characters whose lives connect at a powwow in Oakland, California. Each character has a different background and struggles with identity, family, and belonging. (1) The novel explores the challenges Native Americans face while trying to understand their culture and place in society. It received major recognition and became a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. It also won several literary awards (1).

Wandering Stars 

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    In 2024, Orange published his second novel, Wandering Stars (2). The book follows generations of a Native American family and explores how historical trauma affects families over time. It connects events from Native American history to the experiences of people living today. Orange shows how the past can continue to affect future generations and their understanding of identity (3). The novel was longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and won the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize (3).

    Orange’s writing is important because it gives readers a better understanding of Native American experiences (4). His books explore how history affects people’s lives and how cultural identity connects generations. Through his characters, Orange brings Indigenous voices into modern American literature and helps readers see Native American communities as living, changing communities with stories that deserve to be heard (3).

Professional Reviews

        When I was researching the author Tommy Orange, I have also found a couple of reviews relating to Orange's writings. The first review I have come across was the University of Michigan's review. The review states, "The power of stories and the duty of passing them down from one generation to the next is paramount in There There. In troubling modern times where we seem doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, Orange’s debut is a formidable reminder of the influence and importance of retelling history of shaping the narrative and extracting wisdom to benefit our shared future" (5). What the review is sayins is that There There is a great message that if we continue to retell history we can make the future wiser and we can all benefit from shared stories. Another review I came across was from the Paris Review more so from the words of a blogger Julian Brave (6). Brave stated, "There are many characters here too many despite the fact that Orange edited a few out. While reading the book’s grand finale, a heart-pounding series of rapid-fire scenes that jump from one character to the next, I found myself flipping back to earlier chapters to remind myself who was who. But upon further reflection, even that expectation that you, the reader, will remember each and every one of these Indians feels like a statement: Remember us. We matter" (6).

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My Personal Reflection

    When researching Tommy Orange, I learned a lot about Native American culture and the challenges Indigenous people have faced throughout history. Before doing this, I did not know much about his books or how he uses his writing to share these experiences. I thought it was interesting how his characters deal with things like family, identity, and trying to figure out where they belong. I can relate to the idea that everyone has their own story and experiences that shape who they are. I also think it is important for people to read books about different cultures because it helps us understand others better. Overall, learning about Tommy Orange showed me that books can be more than just stories. They can teach us about history, help us see things from another person's perspective, and give a voice to people whose experiences are not always talked about.

Sources

(1). “There, There.” National Endowment for the Arts, www.arts.gov/initiatives/nea-big-read/there-there. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

(2). “Wandering Stars: The Booker Prizes.” Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024 | The Booker Prizes, thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/wandering-stars. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

(3). “Wandering Stars” by Tommy Orange Wins the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize - Aspen Institute, www.aspeninstitute.org/news/wandering-stars-wins-the-2025-aspen-words-literary-prize/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

(4). “Tommy Orange.” Menu, www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2025/tommy-orange. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

(5). Unsuspecting Bodies: A Review of Tommy Orange’s “There There,” sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2018/07/unsuspecting-bodies-a-review-of-tommy-oranges-there-there/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

(6). NoiseCat, Julian Brave. “Tommy Orange and the New Native Renaissance by Julian Brave Noisecat.” The Paris Review, 29 June 2018, www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/06/29/tommy-orange-and-the-new-native-renaissance/.

Pictures Sources

(1) “Native American Author Tommy Orange Selected as the next Future Library Writer.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Aug. 2024, www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/12/native-american-author-tommy-orange-selected-as-the-next-future-library-writer.

(2) Orange, Tommy. “There There by Tommy Orange: 9780525436140: Penguinrandomhouse.Com: Books.” PenguinRandomhouse.Com, Knopf, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/563403/there-there-by-tommy-orange/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

(3) Orange, Tommy. “Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange: 9780593311448: Penguinrandomhouse.Com: Books.” PenguinRandomhouse.Com, Knopf, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/656310/wandering-stars-by-tommy-orange/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

(4) Marquez, Cherie. “EP. 310 the Absence of Story with Tommy Orange - The Stacks: Traci Thomas.” The Stacks | Traci Thomas, The Stacks | Traci Thomas, 20 May 2024, www.thestackspodcast.com/2024/03/13/ep-310-tommy-orange.

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