The title of Tommy Orange’s novel, There There, references Gertrude Stein’s famous dismissal of Oakland: “there is no there there.” In so doing, Orange recasts Oakland as a destination; it’s not a place of departure but one of belonging and complicated affiliation for his sprawling cast of Native American characters. Indeed, Oakland draws with centripetal force an extended family to its core for a much-anticipated pow-wow, revealing a gritty, beautiful, and disturbing urban Indian landscape. The compelling characters and vivid descriptions reveal a profoundly different there there that will change the way readers see and think about Oakland, its people, its history, and its possible futures.

—BETH PIATOTE, Professor of Ethnic Studies

Student reviewers offered comments such as these:

“[E]very aspect of this book seems like a strength. It’s very powerful, the story is compelling, the ending is devastating. This book makes you feel intensely and think about all sorts of things. It does an incredible job at making the reader imagine people complexly. There is no one in the book you don’t empathize with, there is no one character you can call a villain. Every character is so complicated and flawed and deserving of compassion.”

“The visceral emotions of the different characters come across vibrantly and beautifully. In following multiple characters throughout the novel, readers see multiple perspectives and personalities that they can relate to on some level. Additionally, the novel’s focus on indigenous identity, familial troubles, and its setting in Oakland makes it very relevant and important to a wide range of readers and in today’s time.”

“It is a unique book that teaches the hardships of life, and at the same time teaches the beauty of it.”

“I just found the book incredibly moving. I also learned a lot; reading this book on Thanksgiving was a really strange experience, and I had very different feelings this Thanksgiving break than I did last year. It’s made me rethink a lot in my life. I think everyone should read it.”