A review by malloryeasterday15
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

dark mysterious tense fast-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? No

5.0

Our main character Daunis is getting ready to go to the University of Michigan to study medicine, but her uncle passes away and shortly after that, her grandmother has a stroke. She decides to stay home and attend Lake State instead to help her mother. Daunis gets tied up in an FBI investigation into a new variant of meth that the FBI is terming meth-x. Throughout the book, Daunis struggles with her identity and finding a place within her community. Her identity is complicated by being biracial and having a white mom. Her dad passed away years ago, but her dad’s sister takes her under her wing to teach her about Ojibwe culture and traditions. She is connected to her Native identity through the elders of the community. She spends time with Granny June (her best friend’s great-grandma) and other elders at the Elder Center on Sugar Island. The significant role that elders play in Ojibwe culture is beautifully summed up in the last bit of the book after Daunis escapes the trailer on Duck Island: “I’m reminded that our Elders are our greatest resource, embodying our culture and community. Their stories connect us to our language, medicines, land, clans, songs, and traditions. They are a bridge between the Before and Now, guiding those of us who will carry on in the future” (Boulley, p. 453). Elders are the anchors of this community.  
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