Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Bibliography

Boulley, A. (2021). Firekeeper's daughter. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781250766564

Plot Summary

Struggling with not fitting in with her Ojibwe tribal roots or with her French and Italian ancestry, Daunis constantly feels torn. Still reeling from the death of her father and more recently, the death of her uncle, Daunis is yet again dealing with another family tragedy. Her grandmother has suffered from a stroke. Putting off the start of her freshman year at Michigan University, which would take her away from home, Daunis decides to enroll in the community college with her best friend and help her mother, who is struggling with the loss of Daunis’s uncle and her grandmother’s declining health.

As she gets used to her “new normal”, Daunis soon begins to see her two worlds collide, two worlds she has painstakingly tried to keep apart. Jamie, a new player on her brother’s hockey team, soon becomes more than a friend but Daunis can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something. Amidst trying to figure out her new love interest, there is trouble among the Ojibwe youth. A new lethal drug has recently invaded and caused multiple deaths in her community. Daunis feels a responsibility to her Ojibwe tribe to get to the bottom of this enigma that is taking more and more lives. Before she knows it, Daunis is knee-deep in an FBI investigation and working as a confidential informant. Trying desperately to juggle her lack of identity in one world and her undercover identity in another, Daunis begins exposing truths and secrets - some of which may tear her family and community apart.

Critical Analysis

Author Angeline Boulley has created a young adult masterpiece with her novel Firekeeper’s Daughter. As a member of the Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Boulley has successfully integrated important aspects of tradition and values from her tribe into a gripping fictional story young adults will become enthralled with. This thriller/mystery novel incorporates many current issues young adults face such as drug use, racism, murder, sexual assault, and acceptance. Taking place in the early 2000s in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, Boulley creates a realistic main character, Daunis, who struggles with her identity and sense of belonging. Staying true to the characteristics of realistic fiction, the main character soon finds herself also dealing with death, suspicion, and local scandals and finds a way to help her community while staying true to herself. Young adult readers, and adult readers too, will find Firekeeper’s Daughter a read that they will never forget.

  

Review Excerpt(s)

• "Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences." - Publishers Weekly

• "Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, writes from a place of love for her community and shares some key teachings from her culture, even mixing languages within the context of the story. She doesn't shy away from or sugar-coat the very real circumstances that plague reservations across the country, and she tackles these through her biracial hero who gets involved in the criminal investigation into the corruption that led to this pain. An incredible thriller, not to be missed." - Booklist

Connections

For additional activities related to the book:

• Disrupting Injustices and Inequities: Design a research project to address the following: What are other acts of injustices or inequities disenfranchised and underrepresented populations face? What actionable steps can be taken to disrupt them?

• Role of Helpers: Helpers are discussed and revealed throughout the novel, and they are not exclusive to Daunis and her efforts to save her community. In an essay, discuss the various helpers seen throughout the novel, and the vital roles they serve in creating a solution to the issue of meth in the community. Cite specific examples and analyze the purpose and benefits of these helpers

**Activities can be found at: https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/teachers-guide-firekeepers-daughter-by-angeline-boulley/

Other recommended books if you liked this one: 

• Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

• Give Me Some Truth by Eric Gansworth

• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse