“There There” by Tommy Orange is a “commanding debut” (Publishers Weekly) about native Americans on the edge.  Orange weaves a narrative from the intersecting lives of 12 native Americans attending an Oakland powwow. For many, the gathering is a chance to connect with ancestry or or renew ties to family. But two of those attending, the powwow is an opportunity for a brazen robbery to clear a drug debt. Orange brilliantly develops his characters without losing narrative drive.  In fact, this story crackles with “jangling energy”(NYT). Another promising debut is “A Place for Us” by Fatima Mirza is a “textured and keenly felt” (NYT) story about an American Muslim family divided by tradition and the lure of modern society.