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About the Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange Discussion category
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1
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22
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May 12, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of Wandering Stars? (no spoilers, please!)
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30
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172
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May 12, 2025
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What audience would you recommend Wandering Stars to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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14
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69
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May 12, 2025
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Is there a quote or scene in Wandering Stars that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
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10
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49
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May 12, 2025
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In the prologue, Tommy Orange discusses a history of colonial violence and assimilation. How did this affect how you approached the novel, if at all? In what ways do you think the prologue sets the stage for the rest of the book?
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9
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40
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May 12, 2025
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Opal Viola tells her unborn child about their father, saying, “[T]he dead are never far. They find us in dreams, and keep teaching us from the inside long after they go.” What do you suppose she means? Do you agree?
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8
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34
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May 12, 2025
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Was there a specific character that you developed the most sympathy for? Why do you think you felt more connected to them than the others?
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8
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35
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May 12, 2025
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The story begins with Jude and then unfolds across seven generations. Why is it important that the story is told through multiple generations in one family? What do the parents in the novel pass down to their children? What is lost over time?
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8
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33
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May 12, 2025
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Opal Viola remembers hearing, “A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground. Then it is finished, no matter how brave its warriors or how strong its weapons.” What do you think of this statement?
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7
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26
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May 12, 2025
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While Jude Star is at Fort Marion, he talks about white visitors coming to see them "perform being Indian." In what ways are Native Americans or their culture exploited throughout the book? Has changed over time, and if so, in what ways?
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6
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25
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May 12, 2025
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How do Orvil, Loother, and Lony each respond to trauma? In what way is this affected by their disconnection from their Indigenous community?
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6
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29
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May 12, 2025
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What similarities do you see within each character’s stories and experiences? How do they reflect the effects of intergenerational trauma?
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5
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24
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May 12, 2025
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What effects does interracial adoption have on Native people and communities as represented in the book? What did you think about Vicky’s adoption in particular?
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5
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27
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May 12, 2025
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There are many instances where names and their significance are discussed in the narrative. What is the importance of names as they tie into identity, culture, and assimilation? What does it mean for a character to change their name?
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5
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21
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May 12, 2025
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What is the significance of Opal giving Charles a traditional burial? How does the story shift with the end of this chapter? Why do you suppose the author makes this choice?
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5
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34
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May 12, 2025
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In what ways do you feel colonization affects a parent's or grandparent's relationship with their children and grandchildren? What examples of this did you see in the book?
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5
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27
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May 12, 2025
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Stars, birds and horses are woven throughout the entire novel. What do you think they symbolize? Why do you think the author chose the title, Wandering Stars?
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4
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24
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May 12, 2025
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Why do you think Opal kept cultural knowledge and family stories from the boys? At the end of chapter 25, Opal asks herself that question. What is the reasoning behind her shift in opinion?
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4
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28
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May 12, 2025
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Throughout the novel, dreaming is something that ties the characters together. How do the characters' dreams reflect their emotional states, in your opinion?
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4
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24
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May 12, 2025
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How do you think identity and community affect healing? How did you see this represented in the novel?
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4
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18
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May 12, 2025
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Have you read the author’s previous work, There There? If so, how do the books compare? How do you believe Wandering Stars reinforces and adds to the themes presented in the earlier novel?
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3
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33
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May 12, 2025
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