by Angeline Boulley
Firekeeper's Daughter Length: 14
Narrator: Isabella Star LeBlanc
Published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on March 16, 2021
Source: Library Auidobook
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / People & Places / Indigenous, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 320
Format: Audiobook
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A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

“One of this year's most buzzed about young adult novels.” —Good Morning America

Amazon's Best YA Book of 2021 So Far (June 2021)
A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection
An Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Books of 2021 Selection
A PopSugar Best March 2021 YA Book Selection

With four starred reviews, Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

Review

 

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Bouley is a thrilling and stunning debut novel that is part crime fiction and part coming of age.

Daunis Fontaine is 18 years old, born to a Native father and a white mother. Daunis balances these two worlds better than I could ever expect to balance anything. She’s already seen a lot of heartbreak in her life with the recent passing of her uncle and her grandmother having a stroke, but she’s handling it quite well.

Despite the heartbreak, Daunis has a half-brother (through their father), who she is very close to, her best friend Lily, and her family and friends. Until one day, when she’s the witness to a murder and becomes a CI (confidential informant) to bring justice and safety to her community through a series of events.

Boulley also grew up with a Native father and a non-Native mother on/near Sugar Island, so she’s able to paint an authentic picture of not only the location but Daunis. And, possibly more importantly – the ongoing issues that Native communities face, including Indigenous women.

I love how beautiful Bouley’s writing was while still bringing genuine, severe issues to the limelight.

 

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