Cover Image: Firekeeper's Daughter

Firekeeper's Daughter

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Member Reviews

After witnessing her friends murder, Daunis becomes a confidential informant for the FBI, who are on tribal lands undercover, investigating a meth ring. The writing of this book was beautiful and yet heartbreaking at times. You are along for the ride as you watch Daunis become exposed to life’s cruelties and unfairness.

With all that said, this book at its heart is about love. The love we have for our family. The love we have for our friends. The love we have for our community. The love we build for older ones we look up to. The love we build in romance and relationships. The love we have for the family we choose.

There was one glaringly horrid part of the book that I still can’t understand why it was included in the storyline. TW: (view spoiler) The rape that Donna suffers at the hands of her friends’ father feels wholly unnecessary and vile. Unfortunately, in today’s world women suffer sexual assault at alarming rates. I just feel it should have been omitted and a trigger warning given at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc of this book!

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I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

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Refreshing debut novel! The author's writing has a comfortable flow and the storyline is very reminiscent of Fredrik Backman for me. Character depth is well developed and you are really pulled in to the various plots and histories. This novel gave a delicate perspective of Native community while never being overdone (to the point that you're being pulled away from the mystery of the novel). I would definitely read any further novels put out by this author and cannot wait to read the follow-up that showcases Daunis' niece.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
Daunis Fontaine is a strong young woman who shows enormous courage when a murder and a new drug in her community try to derail her life.
I liked this book and the depth of Daunis’ character.

#FirekeepersDaughter #NetGalley

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5 stars!!

This book will be one of my favorite book's I have ever read. It combined tough subjects (TW: death, murder, meth/drug use, racial discrimination, sexual assault) with romance, mystery, and historical fiction. We learned about the Ojibwe traditions and language, while following Daunis Fontaine's journey through grief and partnering with the FBI.

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This book was so fantastic, I downloaded it on NetGalley quite some time ago, and then completely lost it. After attending a two week seminar of the Upstanders Academy, which focuses on indigenous people and their stories and histories, I was looking through books and saw this one. I remembered I had downloaded it to my Kindle, so I found it and read it in rapid order.

This is such an amazing story, and you don’t even need to understand indigenous history to feel for the characters, as well as the incredible strength and pride they have in their histories and their people.

The story is so well told, with plenty of suspense and danger, love and sadness, growing up and becoming who you were already were and always meant to be. It was also eye-opening to learn a little more about indigenous people who are registered and people who are not, and the differences in how they can sometimes be viewed within their communities.

I have no doubt that the harm inflicted on indigenous communities over the centuries is overlooked and misunderstood. We need to be better about honoring and accepting and supporting the people who have been in the these lands for 25,000 years before any of the rest of us showed up.

Excellent, excellent book, I highly recommend it, even if you know, nothing about indigenous peoples of the Americas, you will learn. And you can’t help but feel for their stories, and what they have gone through.

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This book is beautiful, inside and out. The cover alone grabs the reader's eye and says...."you really should read me". Then the story.....Angeline Boulley tells the story of Daunis Fontaine as if it were her won life story she's telling. The characters fit so well into their stories that you expect them to step off the page anytime. As they move through their troubled lives, you'll watch them grow apart, then move back together to save their communities as well as themselves. A beautiful story all around.

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I thought this was a fantasy novel. I can't be the only one. Based on the cover alone, which is absolutely beautiful by the way, it looks like it should be a fantasy novel. It's not. It's a mystery/thriller and it's heartwrenching. I wasn't expecting the drug angle. But I really enjoyed this book and learning about contemporary Indigenous people living between their reservation and white people. The writing was real and raw and I loved Daunis!

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Beautiful story that fits perfectly between YA and general contemporary audience tastes. Love the Indigenous POV and adventurous spirit of the MC in this story that doesn't shy away from exploring drug use and other tough topics.

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Everyone was right - this book is FABULOUS!!! Having taught at the Indian Community School of Milwaukee myself, I connected so many of the Ojibwe teachings I received to the culture that is present in this book. A gem of a story that highlights some needed representation without sacrificing great storytelling. Had me on the edge of my seat!

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I sped through this book. It is compelling and insightful as it gives us an authentic view into the modern life of our Indigenous tribes. The action is well paced and the main character is very relatable. I highly recommend this book.

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Honestly, I've given this book 3-4 tries and each time I think to myself that maybe it's just my mood or not the right time, but now I think that this book just isn't for me. I think this genre tends to be something I struggle with so it's not really against the author or the writing, but I think it's time to lay this to rest because I just don't think I can keep trying.

Every time I've tried I've only gotten a few chapters in and usually I like to give books at least 100 pages or 20% and I just couldn't push myself to want to read the book. Again, I think the characters were interesting and everything, but I think I just am not the right audience for this.

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When I first read this book, it took me a while to get into, but once I was in, I was hooked. Daunis is a recent high school graduate trying to figure out how to navigate her life. Daunis' mother is white and her father was Ojibwe. She plans to go into medicine - she loves science and helping others (along with hockey), but she is keeping her dreams low to spend time with her grandmother and help her mom. Daunis stumbles upon some major issues in her area (drugs) and the twists that come as she falls into the rabbit hole of trying to help her Indigenous community are plentiful. I have already used this in my high school English classes (juniors & seniors).

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Wow, what an intense, thrilling, moving read. I was entirely invested in the mystery and safety of these characters and in awe of this author's skill. I will happily recommend to teens who can take on a bit of a heavier read.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

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I am kicking myself for waiting a year or more to read this beautiful book after receiving an arc through NetGalley. The book is set in I believe it was 2005, so that took a minute to adjust to, but this book is nothing like it appears.

Of all the contemporary YA books I've read in my lifetime, this is one of the ones that feels very real and I don't want to say relatable because it isn't, but I guess believable, well at least as far as one can believe a recent graduate goes undercover in her own town to uncover the drug ring.

My only complaint in the book is the dishonesty and purposeful keeping back information as an informant to the agents in charge of you-that really bugged me. My most favorite thing in the book was the incorporation of Daunis' Ojibwe customs. Second, I appreciated the ending and everything Daunis went through to get to the ending.


If you decide to pick up this book, do yourself a favor and go with the audio so you can hear the language being spoken-it is beautiful and worth it.

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This book tackles a variety of issues with a compelling set of characters. It is fast paced and nuanced. I would recommended to teens and yound adults who enjoy darker stories and mystery.

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Yes, Yes, Yes!!! Thank you to Ms. Boulley for this well-crafted masterpiece!!! I can't wait to introduce my students to Daunis' story. This is a text that will definitely be in my library and in my classroom

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This book was AMAZING and I did not ever want to put it down to attend to the real world. This is an own voices story that truly emerges the reader into the life of the main character and embraces a wonderful character representation. I found myself enraptured and loving every second, while also learning so much about the language and cultural practices. The writing in this novel was excellent and the plot kept me guessing at each and every turn. I loved Daunis, and enjoyed getting to follow the story through her lens. This book tackles hard and potentially triggering issues such as government-sponsored violence against tribal communities, violence against women, and consequences of the drug trade. I strongly recommend that you take the time to read this book!

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Amazing. Just as everyone said. Couldn’t put it down from start to finish. The mystery and characters. Powerful.

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