It is the second week of YA Fest, and I am excited to talk about Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. This book is a YA thriller that follows a recent high school graduate as she tries to uncover the truth behind a string of deaths in her community, while also attempting to protect those she loves. I was happy to have the opportunity to hear from Boulley at this year's San Antonio Book Festival, as she shed more light on the experiences that led to her writing her debut novel.
The Situation: Eighteen year-old Daunis Fontaine is excited to be starting college in the fall. Sure, she is not following her original plan of going away to college, instead opting to stay close to her mother following the tragic death of her uncle, and now her grandmother has had a stroke and remains in elder care. But Daunis is happy that she will be attending with her best friend Lily, and it means remaining close to her community, though growing up, she always had a hard time fitting in. With a white mother and an Ojibwe father, her Native American heritage was always judged on one side, and because of her light skin, she is often looked down on and teased by the community on the reservation. And given the complicated events that occurred before her birth, it feels like someone is always whispering about her and her family, finding some reason that she should not be included. One saving grace and focus has been hockey, something she is incredibly good at. But even here, being a female has caused many to believe that she has no place on the ice with the boys.
The Problem: It is hockey season, and although Daunis no longer plays, she should be enjoying the festivities with everyone else. But when she witnesses a murder, she is instead pulled into the role of a confidential informant. It seems that someone has been providing young people in her community with methamphetamine, and the losses keep coming. More young people are showing up dead, and though Daunis knows it will be difficult, she decides that helping the authorities is worth the risk if it means exposing the truth and keeping her friends and family safe. However, if she thought navigating her identity was difficult before, it becomes even more complicated when she now must begin keeping secrets from her family, especially her fragile mother, her headstrong aunt, and her star hockey-playing brother, Levi. Good thing Daunis is smart, strong, determined, and more than a little stubborn. Even so, uncovering a meth operation is no small task, and sometimes Daunis feels like she is betraying her people instead of protecting them.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult mystery/thriller set in the early 2000s, and in Minnesota, close to the Canadian border. The protagonist and narrator, Daunis, is both white and Ojibwe Native American, and her experience has very much been shaped by this dual identity. It is extremely rare to have a Native American narrator in a book, especially so in a book for teens, something that Boulley acknowledges in her author's note. The author wanted to write a contemporary story told by a Native American, and that is what Firekeeper's Daughter is. Daunis' world is filled with school, hockey, both sides of her family, and the Ojibwe traditions, ceremonies, and language. But then there are also the tragedies and dangers, especially when it comes to drugs, not to mention the prejudice that some endure within their own community. Boulley provided today's readers with a mystery from a point of view that is rarely offered.
My Verdict: Both critics and readers alike were excited to get their hands on this book, and now I can certainly see why. As someone outside of the Native American community, this book is informative and enlightening, as well as fun and gripping and an all-around joy to read. Daunis is smart, and strong, and determined to do what it takes, but she is also 18 and prone to make mistakes, as well as jump into terrible situations without much thought. Her struggle with her identity and her place in her world is something many (if not most) people can identify with on some level, especially at that age, and I am sure many appreciate her honest look at and evaluation of how the people around her have treated her. And the plot has everything: identity struggles, murder, an underground meth operation, love, obligation to family...nothing is left out, and everything is confronted, which is why I think it works so well.
Favorite Moment: As the book progresses, Daunis will remember more details around the murder she witnesses, and each new piece reveals something significant about the overall story.
Favorite Character: Daunis' Aunt Teddy is a vision of the fierce and strong woman that Daunis will grow up to be. She does not hesitate to call her niece out on her nonsense, which is only done because she wants her to be safe and smart.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, which is another thriller novel for younger readers.
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