Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Bibliographic Information:

Title: Firekeeper's Daughter

Author: Angeline Boulley

Publisher: ‎Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Copyright Date: 2021

ISBN: ‎9781250766564

Format: Print Prose Book

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller/ Contemporary Fiction/ BIPOC Voice

Awards:

Michael L. Printz Award- 2022

William C. Morris YA Debut Award- 2022

Edgar Award for Best Young Adult- 2022

Walter Dean Myers Award for Teen Category- 2022

Interest Level: Grades 9-12 (Junior Library Guild)

Plot Summary:

Daunis Fontaine struggles to fit in with either of her communities, her hometown and the Ojibwe reservation, as she has mixed heritage. After the recent death of her uncle and the decline in her grandmother's health, Daunis is trying to piece her life back together and keep trucking. That is until she witnesses a murder and to save her community goes undercover to investigate the tragedies that seem to pile up connected to a mysterious indigenous plant and meth. But she can't play by the FBI's rules and takes her investigation to the next level. Will she be able to keep track of her lies, the clues, and maintain relationships that are important to her while catching the culprits?

Author Background:

Angeline Boulley is the daughter of a traditional firekeeper and is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She currently lives in southwest Michigan but her home will always be Sugar Island, the setting of this novel. She has recently been the Director for the Office of Indian Education (OIE) at the U.S. Department of Education, was her tribe’s Education Director/Assistant Executive Director, and served on the Board of Regents at Bay Mills Community College. She is currently a full time author and shares stories about her Ojibwe community. Angeline is also the author of Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Critical Evaluation:

Firekeeper's Daughter took a minuet to grab my attention. I instantly fell in love with Daunis and her story, she is so complex and has many different aspects of her personality that readers can relate to even if they do not share her background. It took about 100 pages for the story to start rolling but then I felt like I couldn't catch up in the best way. The story was a rollercoaster and Daunis never seemed to get a break. I liked the romantic sub plot but appreciated that it was not the central theme of the novel. I did think that Daunis was a bit unbelievably smart, I thought it was unrealistic the depth of her knowledge in so many fields. The amount of tragedy in Firekeeper's Daughter is extensive and while reading I was a bit overwhelmed by certain events that occurred and worried that the author might have gone too far for the sake of tragedy. But the ending of the book absolutely made up for it, I cried. I appreciated the decisions Angeline made with each character, and found the traditions she included, especially at the end, to be beautiful, respectful, and breathtaking. I was honored to read this story and get a glimpse into her culture. The author's note made this story even more impactful and memorable, I have thought about this story everyday since reading. I want to share this quote Angeline wrote "There's an important distinction between writing about trauma and writing about tragedy. I sought to write about identity, loss, and injustice... and also of love, joy, connection, friendship, hope, laughter, and the beauty and strength in my Ojibwe community" (Boulley, 2021, p.490).

Creative Use for Library Program:

Indigenous Plant Workshop/Hike- Librarian schedules a local hike or nature walk. On the walk, librarian or guide will identify local plants and discuss their properties noting if they have any medicinal, edible, or poisonous features. If possible librarians ask a member of a native tribe or community to lead the nature walk, plant identification, and share how the history of the land and plants are important. This needs to be done in a respectful way.

Visiting the Local Senior Center- In Firekeeper's Daughter and to many native communities, elders are honored. The elders in this novel play a large role in Daunis journey and investigation. Librarian and Teen Advisory Group schedules a meet and greet with local retirement or senior center. Teens can bring their favorite novels, classic novels, and board games to talk and connect with seniors in their community.

Speed Round Book Talk:

Daunis is a genius and her specific skills make her a perfect undercover investigator for a string of deaths that are happening on Sugar Island. But will she get too tangled up in the mess of her life and the lies she's discovering and telling? Read Firekeeper's Daughter before it comes out on Netflix.

Potential Challenge Issues or Defense Preparation:

This novel contains many difficult themes such as substance abuse, rape, and racism. The copy that I read did not include a warning in the front however the book synopsis on the back clearly dictates that difficult themes will be discussed in the story. Angeline Boulley, while discussing these themes, does so in a careful way and does not go into a detail that is grotesque or dehumanizing. She has spent much time as she dictates in the authors note on researching and working with local agencies to create a story that accurately and respectfully reflects the events that occurred and fictional aspects as best as possible.

Firekeeper's Daughter has been banned for themes of drug use, sexual activity, and for religious reasons as it does not contain the bible. It is important to note that teens experience pressures of drug abuse from family, school, friends, and community members, to ignore this topic ostracizes teens who are effected. This novel does not condone use of drugs in anyway. The sexual activity in this book is minimal and is not unreasonably graphic. Teens are sexually active and also face sexual assault, for adults to ignore this and to expect them not to seek out advice, understanding, or clarity about sexual activity is unreasonable.

Reason for Inclusion:

Firekeeper's Daughter is a perfect thriller mystery, any teen would eat it up! It discusses the difficulties of having mixed heritage, choosing your identity, deciding who to be, and how to deal with trauma especially with the help of your community. This novel should be included in all collections as it shares a voice of indigenous people, one that is often silenced. I would recommend that teens read the physical copy alongside the audiobook.

Check Out:

Bellow is some fan art featured on Ojibwe.net and Angeline Boulley's senior picture, which is the year she first had the idea of writing Firekeeper's Daughter. While I did not find any fan art for Daunis I imagine she is inspired by Angeline from the time of this photo.

References:

Angeline Boulley. (n.d.). About. Accessed July 2024 from https://angelineboulley.com/books.html

Boulley, A. (2021). Firekeeper's Daughter. Henry Holt and Co. p. 490.

Goodreads. (n.d.). Firekeeper's Daughter. Accessed July 2024 from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52346471-firekeeper-s-daughter

Junior Library Guild. (n.d.). Firekeeper's Daughter. Accessed July 2024 from https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/firekeeper-s-daughter-9781250766564j

Ojibwe.net. (n.d.). Firekeeper's Daughter. Accessed July 2024 from https://ojibwe.net/firekeepers-daughter/

WXYZ-TV Detroit Chanel 7. (2021, March). Netflix series in woks for Michigan author's debut novel Firekeeper's Daughter [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/GGJWUt8B3gU?feature=shared