Library invites community participation
Tommy Orange is the bestselling author of “There There,” a novel about the urban Native experience. (AP photo)
Multnomah County Library invites the community to participate in Everybody Reads 2020, featuring Tommy Orange’s debut novel about the urban Native experience, “There There.”
Free copies of “There There” are available to pick up at all library locations without a library card while supplies last or download the e-book or audiobook from the library catalog. The library encourages readers to discuss the book, and share their copies with friends, coworkers and neighbors.
The library will host a series of events from Jan. 15 through March 5 to support discussion of the book and its themes. Presented by members of the local Native community, you can view the full schedule at multcolib.org/events/everybody-reads. Orange will speak on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets are available from Literary Arts.
"For too long, the urban Native experience has been overlooked," said Director of Libraries Vailey Oehlke. "There There is a memorable and transparent story that explores the resilient search for identity and belonging while carrying the weight of inherited trauma."
The award-winning book offers a series of gripping portraits and perspectives of Native people in urban America, told by 12 characters traveling to Oakland, Calif. for a powwow, each of them contending with issues of identity, memory and belonging.