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A review by okiecozyreader
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Written by a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, this story represent a fictional Ojibwe tribe in the area. The first section of the book introduces the reader into many customs and daily life of the Ojibwe, and then Daunis Fontaine witnesses a murder. The rest of the book moves quickly, as she becomes a researcher into what has happened to her friends and who is involved.
Daunis Fontaine is half Ojibwe, and has never had formal papers submitted to be a member of the tribe. Yet, she loves the beauty and meaning of all that she has been taught. She was also trained by her uncle, a professor, who taught her how to question and research (and died recently, unexpectedly).
If you want to read an indigenous book, this is a great one to begin with. As a reader, you get a lot of tribal information, but so much more. It’s kind of difficult to label it, because it is also a story of:
👩❤️👨 Romance
🧍🏻♀️Coming of Age / identity
👩👧👦complicated Family & friendships
🏒 Hockey
🔎Mystery
💊 Meth addiction
My favorite part of the book was learning about Daunis’ Ojibwe community and traditions. I was also captivated by the mystery and her investigation. I couldn’t stop reading last night until I finished it.
I read this for the @momadvice bookclub and can’t wait to discuss. I have a lot of questions!
Note: there is also a scene towards the end of sexual assault/rape that isn’t described but referenced to from that point on. In the author’s note at the end, she mentioned that it was important for her to discuss assault of tribal women and litigation for that. Meth information is also heavily discussed.
The audiobook for this is exceptional - so thanks again to Libro.fm for providing copies for librarians!
Quotes -
“Guy Lies are the things guys declare in the heat of the moment, which fade with time and distance. I’ve heard quite a few Guy Lies thanks to TJ Kewadin, the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s newest cop. I can’t stop thinking about you. Or … we can make that work. And my personal favorite? I love you. Chapter 3
“ When people say Anishinaabe, do they mean Native or Ojibwe?”
“Anishinaabe means the Original People. Indigenous. Nish. Nishnaab. Shinaab. Mostly we’re referring to Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes from the Great Lakes area. Ojibwe language is called Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwemowin. Levi calls it Ojiberish.” Ch 6
“Kindness is something that seems small, Daunis, but it’s like tossing a pebble into a pond and the ripples reach further than you thought.” Ch7
“There’s a relief in telling a secret. A burden lifted, just by sharing it with someone.” Ch 9
“My father’s family was named for its role in the tribal community for generations: Firekeeper... Firekeepers strike the fire for ceremonies, funerals, sweat lodges, and other cultural events where our prayers are carried by the smoke to Creator. A ceremonial fire is special; you don’t roast marshmallows or sing forty-niner songs at it. Firekeepers ensure that protocols are followed the entire time it burns: no politics, no drinking, and no gossip. Only good thoughts to feed the fire and carry our prayers.” Ch 11
“When you love someone, but don’t like parts of them, it complicates your memories of them when they’re gone.” Ch 23
“It gnaws at me, the way they want bad stuff without knowing the good stuff too. It’s like … you haven’t earned our stories,” I say.” Ch 23
“Well, there’s a teaching about the daughter of the original firekeeper,” I say. “She starts each day by lifting the sun into the sky and singing.” …
““I don’t like her story, because she doesn’t even get her own name in it. Her identity is in relation to her dad, Firekeeper, and then her husband, First Man, called Anishinaabe, and then her sons, named after each of the four directions. She gets stuck with the responsibility of lifting the sun every morning.” Ch 26
“Am I unlocking memories? Or just inventing them?“ ch 31
“‘Indian time really means that things happen when they’re supposed to.’ ” ch 31
“Instead of students’ names, he mostly used initials and a class period. A few students were assigned a symbol instead. I pick out mine right away—a heart. When Uncle David spoke in code with Mom about me, I was N’Coeur. The French word for heart, with the Anishinaabemowin N’ in front to make it possessive. My Heart.
My uncle loved me and trusted that I would find the clues he left for me. “ ch 34
“What he thought was a love medicine was actually the opposite of love. Real love honors your spirit. If you need a medicine to create or keep it, that’s possession and control, not love.” Ch 38
“Wisdom is not bestowed. In its raw state, it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn’t.” Ch 43
Daunis Fontaine is half Ojibwe, and has never had formal papers submitted to be a member of the tribe. Yet, she loves the beauty and meaning of all that she has been taught. She was also trained by her uncle, a professor, who taught her how to question and research (and died recently, unexpectedly).
If you want to read an indigenous book, this is a great one to begin with. As a reader, you get a lot of tribal information, but so much more. It’s kind of difficult to label it, because it is also a story of:
👩❤️👨 Romance
🧍🏻♀️Coming of Age / identity
👩👧👦complicated Family & friendships
🏒 Hockey
🔎Mystery
💊 Meth addiction
My favorite part of the book was learning about Daunis’ Ojibwe community and traditions. I was also captivated by the mystery and her investigation. I couldn’t stop reading last night until I finished it.
I read this for the @momadvice bookclub and can’t wait to discuss. I have a lot of questions!
Note: there is also a scene towards the end of sexual assault/rape that isn’t described but referenced to from that point on. In the author’s note at the end, she mentioned that it was important for her to discuss assault of tribal women and litigation for that. Meth information is also heavily discussed.
The audiobook for this is exceptional - so thanks again to Libro.fm for providing copies for librarians!
Quotes -
“Guy Lies are the things guys declare in the heat of the moment, which fade with time and distance. I’ve heard quite a few Guy Lies thanks to TJ Kewadin, the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s newest cop. I can’t stop thinking about you. Or … we can make that work. And my personal favorite? I love you. Chapter 3
“ When people say Anishinaabe, do they mean Native or Ojibwe?”
“Anishinaabe means the Original People. Indigenous. Nish. Nishnaab. Shinaab. Mostly we’re referring to Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes from the Great Lakes area. Ojibwe language is called Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwemowin. Levi calls it Ojiberish.” Ch 6
“Kindness is something that seems small, Daunis, but it’s like tossing a pebble into a pond and the ripples reach further than you thought.” Ch7
“There’s a relief in telling a secret. A burden lifted, just by sharing it with someone.” Ch 9
“My father’s family was named for its role in the tribal community for generations: Firekeeper... Firekeepers strike the fire for ceremonies, funerals, sweat lodges, and other cultural events where our prayers are carried by the smoke to Creator. A ceremonial fire is special; you don’t roast marshmallows or sing forty-niner songs at it. Firekeepers ensure that protocols are followed the entire time it burns: no politics, no drinking, and no gossip. Only good thoughts to feed the fire and carry our prayers.” Ch 11
“When you love someone, but don’t like parts of them, it complicates your memories of them when they’re gone.” Ch 23
“It gnaws at me, the way they want bad stuff without knowing the good stuff too. It’s like … you haven’t earned our stories,” I say.” Ch 23
“Well, there’s a teaching about the daughter of the original firekeeper,” I say. “She starts each day by lifting the sun into the sky and singing.” …
““I don’t like her story, because she doesn’t even get her own name in it. Her identity is in relation to her dad, Firekeeper, and then her husband, First Man, called Anishinaabe, and then her sons, named after each of the four directions. She gets stuck with the responsibility of lifting the sun every morning.” Ch 26
“Am I unlocking memories? Or just inventing them?“ ch 31
“‘Indian time really means that things happen when they’re supposed to.’ ” ch 31
“Instead of students’ names, he mostly used initials and a class period. A few students were assigned a symbol instead. I pick out mine right away—a heart. When Uncle David spoke in code with Mom about me, I was N’Coeur. The French word for heart, with the Anishinaabemowin N’ in front to make it possessive. My Heart.
My uncle loved me and trusted that I would find the clues he left for me. “ ch 34
“What he thought was a love medicine was actually the opposite of love. Real love honors your spirit. If you need a medicine to create or keep it, that’s possession and control, not love.” Ch 38
“Wisdom is not bestowed. In its raw state, it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn’t.” Ch 43
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault