Wandering Stars: A Novel

Orvil's family drives out to Alcatraz for the sunrise ceremony. On the boat ride over to the island, Lony goes to the top of the boat. Jacquie follows him and notices him doing something strange with his arms and his eyes closed. When she asks him whether he thought he might fly, Lony tells her he was just stretching. Lony then asks her whether anyone could get up on the water tower at Alcatraz, which is visible in the distance. Jacquie tells him that she got up there, and she tells him about the time she went there with her sister and mother.

Lony asks Jacquie why so many Indigenous people wear feathers and tells her that if people really believed they could fly, they would. Lony then tells Jacquie that adults end up losing something kids can keep: imagination. When the family reunites, Opal tells Jacquie that she doesn't think the island will feel the same. When they get there, people are performing poetry, playing instruments, and singing. Lony responds with fervor, and Opal feels both guilty and afraid because he seems so hungry for what is happening on the island. As a speaker takes the microphone to give a land acknowledgment and welcome everyone to the island, Lony slips off.