Orvil Red Feather is Jamie Red Feather’s son, who died of an overdose, and Jacquie Red Feather’s grandson. Though Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield is actually his great-aunt, she raises him as his grandmother. He is a descendant of Jude Star, who survived the Sand Creek Massacre and was imprisoned in Fort Marion by Richard Henry Pratt. Orvil is a survivor of the Big Oakland Powwow shooting, which took place in Orange’s first novel, There There.

Orvil, disillusioned by both life and his heritage, feels hopeless as the novel begins. He is cynical, distrusting most people and even his own life and future. He feels he belongs to the things that have happened to him but otherwise does not know where he belongs. Orvil finds relief from this pressure through both substances and art, mirroring his ancestor Charles without realizing it. Both men are sensitive to their surroundings and seek “transcendence” from the pain of their past and present. When Orvil overdoses, he goes to a rehabilitation center and gets clean. When this happens, Orvil begins to hope for the future—finding a way back to himself through music and community.