The Situation: Perry Firekeeper-Birch quite enjoys a life of no worries. The opposite option is to have near-constant anxiety like her twin sister Pauline, who may be on the path to Dartmouth, but at what cost? Perry prefers to go fishing every free moment she can, and help her dad with the family garden. But when she gets in a fender-bender and ends up with a debt to repay to her Auntie Daunis, she finds herself joining her sister for a summer internship program. Her assignment at the museum of the Sugar Island Cultural Learning Center may include working with the local 'goofball,' but the last thing Perry expected was to become interested, and incredibly passionate, about the museum's task of repatriating the remains of her ancestors.
The Problem: Perry is known as the trouble-making twin, and she knows this, so it is no surprise she is quickly frustrated with the extremely slow process of bringing home what she knows rightfully belongs to her community on Sugar Island. If it is not finding precious items being sold for profit on eBay, or being stored in the offices and labs of professors at a local university, it is the slow-moving Tribal Council and overall process of bringing the items home, not to mention that the number of missing Indigenous women continues to rise, that is feeding Perry's growing rage. Soon, Perry's frustrations lead her to make her own plans for righting wrongs, possibly getting not only herself into some serious trouble.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult mystery/thriller novel set a few years after Firekeeper's Daughter, and even has appearances by Daunis Firekeeper as she is Perry's 'Auntie,' though they are really cousins. Perry is known as the more laid-back twin, as her sister Pauline is often anxious, but also smart and hardworking. This book continues the focus on the increasing number of missing Indigenous women, and the little attention that is being paid to the issue. The story also highlights the practice of many institutions (universities, museums, etc.) and individuals collecting the remains of Indigenous people, as well as their items, and holding onto them, despite the Native American Graves Protections and Repatriation Act that was signed into law in 1990. Currently, more than half of the human remains that have been identified remain in collections.
My Verdict: Despite Perry being known as the troublemaking twin, her tough attitude and abrasiveness were not as irritating to me as I thought they would be, which works great since she is the narrator. If anything, the reader may find themselves joining her in her outrage and cheering her on during every outburst. And this book does not contain only one mystery, but quite a few, as many answers lead to more questions, which all lead to an adventure that rivals the one from the previous book. It is an entertaining and educational experience that only sometimes left me confused due to the quick pace and large cast of characters.
Favorite Moment: After receiving devastating news regarding an important collection, Perry says exactly what she wants to say to one of the professors of Mackinac State College, whom she has had an issue with since the beginning.
Favorite Character: Shense, a single-mother who attends the same school as Perry, is not only determined to finish school and build a better life for herself and her daughter, but turns out to be smart, loyal, and dependable.
Recommended Reading: It is not necessary to read Firekeeper's Daughter before reading this one, but I recommend it. I also recommend Ducks by Kate Beaton, which chronicles the author's time in the oil sands of Canada, and what it was like being one of few females in a male dominated area and profession.
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