Wandering Stars: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism, death, graphic violence, sexual violence, and suicidal ideation.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the sweeping timeline across multiple generations affect your connection to the characters?

2. Discuss the novel as a standalone yet interconnected companion to Orange’s There There. If you have not read There There, are you more or less interested after reading Wandering Stars?

3. What other contemporary Indigenous American writers or works are you familiar with? How does There There compare to works like Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven or Darcie Little Badger’s Elatsoe?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Which character did you find most relatable, and why? 

2. How did you feel about the novel’s challenging subject matter—e.g., its depictions of suicidal ideation and sexual assault? Do you find reading novels like this difficult, and if so, do you find there are benefits that counterbalance the challenges?

3. Discuss how characters in the novel find strength and support in the community.