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A review by ballgownsandbooks
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely could not put this book down; I flew through the entire thing in a day and I have SO MANY feelings. Do not be surprised when you see this on my ‘favourites of 2021’ list!
We follow Daunis, whom we meet as she’s struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her uncle, and her grandmother’s subsequent stroke. Daunis is definitely a new favourite character: her character is so well-developed and I loved being inside her head! She’s so intelligent and has so many dreams, but she also loves her family and community, and takes her responsibilities towards them so seriously.
I can’t speak on the accuracy of the Ojibwe representation (though ownvoices reviews suggest it’s done well) but I certainly learned a lot, and I will say that I loved the community dynamic! The cast of side characters is absolutely huge, which served to really flesh out the community and present so many different kinds of people and families and ways of being Ojibwe – which is really the kind of representation I want all marginalised groups to have! There were a couple of characters whom I got mixed up on occasion, but for the most part every character is so vibrant and unique, especially all the Elders (I don’t want to spoil anything, but several of the scenes which made me cry the hardest were ones involving the Elders!), and also Daunis’ Aunt Teddie, who takes no shit from anyone and whom I adored.
The book deals with so many different issues that Indigenous communities face – most notably addiction, and violence at state, community, and interpersonal levels – as well as themes like grief and identity: underpinning Daunis’ entire arc is the thread of her wrestling with her place between her white and Ojibwe heritages. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and painful to read at times (the content warnings are extensive so please be safe!), but every issue is dealt with sensitively and in way that gives each of them the appropriate space and consideration.
I don’t want to say much about the plot or the rest of the characters, to avoid spoiling the mystery – though I will say that I didn’t see the reveals coming at all! (Guessing the plots of books isn’t something I’m particularly good at in general, but I do think this will be a satisfying one if that’s the aspect you’re looking for!). As a final point, I will say that the audiobook is wonderful – there’s a lot of Ojibwe language scattered through the book, so it was great to be able to hear it! (The downside is that I now can’t spell any of it… but that’s why I’ve also ordered a physical copy!)
Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I cannot wait for it to be a breakout star, and I’m so excited for whatever Angeline Boulley writes next!
We follow Daunis, whom we meet as she’s struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her uncle, and her grandmother’s subsequent stroke. Daunis is definitely a new favourite character: her character is so well-developed and I loved being inside her head! She’s so intelligent and has so many dreams, but she also loves her family and community, and takes her responsibilities towards them so seriously.
I can’t speak on the accuracy of the Ojibwe representation (though ownvoices reviews suggest it’s done well) but I certainly learned a lot, and I will say that I loved the community dynamic! The cast of side characters is absolutely huge, which served to really flesh out the community and present so many different kinds of people and families and ways of being Ojibwe – which is really the kind of representation I want all marginalised groups to have! There were a couple of characters whom I got mixed up on occasion, but for the most part every character is so vibrant and unique, especially all the Elders (I don’t want to spoil anything, but several of the scenes which made me cry the hardest were ones involving the Elders!), and also Daunis’ Aunt Teddie, who takes no shit from anyone and whom I adored.
The book deals with so many different issues that Indigenous communities face – most notably addiction, and violence at state, community, and interpersonal levels – as well as themes like grief and identity: underpinning Daunis’ entire arc is the thread of her wrestling with her place between her white and Ojibwe heritages. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and painful to read at times (the content warnings are extensive so please be safe!), but every issue is dealt with sensitively and in way that gives each of them the appropriate space and consideration.
I don’t want to say much about the plot or the rest of the characters, to avoid spoiling the mystery – though I will say that I didn’t see the reveals coming at all! (Guessing the plots of books isn’t something I’m particularly good at in general, but I do think this will be a satisfying one if that’s the aspect you’re looking for!). As a final point, I will say that the audiobook is wonderful – there’s a lot of Ojibwe language scattered through the book, so it was great to be able to hear it! (The downside is that I now can’t spell any of it… but that’s why I’ve also ordered a physical copy!)
Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I cannot wait for it to be a breakout star, and I’m so excited for whatever Angeline Boulley writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Suicide
Minor: Domestic abuse