There There by Tommy Orange Summary

There There is Tommy Orange's 2018 debut novel that follows 12 urban Native American characters living in Oakland, California, as their lives converge at the Big Oakland Powwow. The novel explores themes of identity, belonging, and historical trauma while challenging stereotypes about what it means to be Native American in contemporary urban America. The story culminates in a tragic shooting at the powwow, revealing how violence and dislocation ripple through generations.

Tommy Orange is a Native American author and enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, born and raised in Oakland, California. He wrote There There after working at the Native American Health Center, where he realized urban Native stories needed representation and that "Native people are pretty invisible". Orange wanted to expand what it means to be Native beyond reservation-based narratives and historical stereotypes, reflecting his own experience as an "urban Indian".

There There is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Native American literature, social justice, and stories that challenge cultural stereotypes. It's particularly valuable for readers seeking diverse perspectives on American identity, those interested in multigenerational trauma narratives, and anyone wanting to understand urban Indigenous experiences. The novel appeals to literary fiction readers who appreciate interconnected character studies and experimental narrative structures.

There There is widely considered essential contemporary American literature, earning finalist status for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and winning the American Book Award and PEN/Hemingway Award. Critics praise it as "a miraculous achievement" and "a new kind of American epic" that tells necessary stories with ferocious honesty. The novel's powerful exploration of urban Native identity and its innovative narrative structure make it a groundbreaking contribution to American literature.

The title There There references Gertrude Stein's observation about Oakland: "There is no there there," describing how her childhood home had disappeared. Orange reclaims this phrase to address Native American invisibility and displacement—both from ancestral lands and from contemporary narratives. The title captures the paradox of urban Natives inhabiting a place that simultaneously belongs to them and was stolen from them, exploring themes of belonging and "unbelonging".

There There explores historical trauma and its impact on contemporary Native American lives, including the lasting effects of colonial violence and forced assimilation. The novel examines urban Native identity, challenging stereotypes that Native people only exist in historical or reservation contexts. Key themes include the search for connection and community, invisibility versus visibility, intergenerational pain, and resilience despite 150 years of systemic oppression.

There There features 12 interconnected Native American characters with distinct perspectives and struggles. Key figures include Orvil Red Feather, a young man secretly learning traditional dance from YouTube videos; Dene, a documentary filmmaker collecting Native stories; and Opal, a middle-aged Cheyenne woman who participated in the Alcatraz occupation as a child. Each character grapples with identity, survival, and what it means to be Native in urban America.

There There culminates in a tragic climax when a robbery and shooting occur at the Big Oakland Powwow, where all 12 characters have converged. The violent ending reflects how historical trauma manifests in contemporary violence, shattering the community gathering meant for celebration and connection. The aftermath of this violence continues in Orange's 2024 sequel Wandering Stars, which explores the immediate consequences and traces trauma through generations of the Red Feather family.

There There breaks from traditional Native American literature by centering urban Indigenous experiences rather than reservation life. Orange belongs to a new generation of Native writers incorporating pop culture, technology (like YouTube), and contemporary settings while addressing historical trauma. The novel's polyphonic structure, shifting between multiple perspectives and narrative voices, creates a modern epic that challenges stereotypes about Native artistic identity and expands the definition of Native American literature.

There There won the 2019 American Book Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction, and the John Leonard Prize in 2018. The novel was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and received nominations for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and multiple Goodreads Choice Awards. In October 2025, Tommy Orange was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, recognizing his literary contributions.

Oakland serves as the essential backdrop for There There, representing the reality of urban Native American life that Orange experienced growing up in the city's Dimond District. The city symbolizes displacement and erasure—Gertrude Stein's "no there there"—while also being home to a vibrant, often invisible Native community. Orange uses Oakland to challenge the misconception that authentic Native life only exists on reservations, showing how Indigenous people navigate identity in urban spaces.

There There directly confronts stereotypes by presenting Native characters who don't fit the "historical, head-dressed, feathered image" that dominates popular imagination. Orange shows urban Natives wearing contemporary clothing, learning traditions from YouTube, working regular jobs, and struggling with modern issues like addiction and identity confusion. The novel's opening reflects on violent colonial imagery, then deliberately complicates these narratives by portraying the "richness and depth of contemporary Native American life" beyond stereotypes.