"There There," by Tommy Orange.

Tommy Orange's debut novel is an unflinching examination of urban indigenous life. Filled with harsh confrontations, struggle, addiction and numerous violences, "There There" is also about a yearning to reclaim indigenous identities and the messy path those journeys often take. Love in the face of pain, and determination in adversity merge in this novel with an overwhelming longing and nostalgia for a place and a time in our pasts that is irretrievable.

Sasha Suarez, Birchbark Books, Mpls.

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