Can a debut novel convey the depth and sensitivity of a tour de force? Yes, if it’s “There, There.” We meet 12 characters as detailed as an MRI. All are from urban Native American communities and attend a major pow-wow gathering in Oakland, Calif.
Broken families, romance, violence, Native history, destructive forces on indigent culture, a kaleidoscope of personal narratives and emotions and, finally, mass violence perform as if they’re traditional Native American dances. The story stands as a major example of the wealth that our land loses if we disregard diverse voices. Oh, and did I mention it was a finalist for a Pulitzer? (In February, Orange published a prequel, “Wandering Stars.
”) — The phrase “poor deer” when first encountered in this novel is the child protagonist’s misinterpretation of the sympathetic trope “poor dear,” a throwaway phrase that politely but unequivocally whitewashes any uncomfortable situation. “Poor Deer” later comes to represent the adolescent heroine’s conscience, as she navigates her grief and sense of guilt over a fatal accident, in which her innocent actions as a child and subsequent feelings were never acknowledged. “Poor dear” perhaps means well, but “Poor Deer” holds her accountable to confront the truth in her past.
— Despite the title, this sequel to Toibin’s “Brooklyn” is set largely in a small town in Ireland. The heroine, Eilis — who at the novel’s outset lives on Long Island next door t.