Germantown Novel Views Book Club - In Person

There There by Tommy Orange

Join the Germantown Novel Views Book Club to discuss the One Maryland, One Book selection "There There" by Tommy Orange.

The Novel Views Book Club will meet in Study Room 5, located on the lower level of the library. 

"What does it really mean to be an Indian/Native American/American Indian/Native? Orange's vivid debut novel allows a unique cast—ranging from teenagers to elders—to pull this question apart even as they add a modern layer of complexity: They live in the urban landscape of Oakland, California. The thrust of Orange's cross-cut storytelling is not to force his characters onto a strict plot line but to explore the varied ways of being an Indian and, more important, of feeling like an Indian. Fractured families, Oakland itself, and detachment from tradition make an Indian identity seem even more elusive to the younger characters, but it's a feeling that they unknowingly share—and that Orange wants to expose. As an amateur filmmaker says to a teen he's interviewing, "When you hear stories from people like you, you feel less alone." Isolation and longing permeate the page, lifted briefly only as the characters intersect at the Big Oakland Powwow, with chaotic results. If I have any quibble about the book (and it could be a failure of mine, really), it's that there are a few too many characters for me to comfortably hold in my head. But then again, this isn't a comfortable novel, and therein lies its power and purpose. —Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review"

Print copies may be available at the Germantown Library after August 2, 2023.  It is also available as an eBook and an eAudiobook on OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla.

Overdrive/Libby eBook: https://mcplmd.overdrive.com/media/3684922

Overdrive/Libby eAudiobook: https://mcplmd.overdrive.com/media/3609253

Don't have a card right now?  No worries!  Find out how to Get a Library Card.

Questions about this program? Contact the branch at 240-777-0110

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

GEN 1.0 10/27/2021

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