Angeline Boulley is an auto-buy author for me, and with every book I read, it becomes even more clear why.

This time, we follow Lucy—our main character—who’s on the run (we don’t know why yet). After a bomb goes off in the diner where she works, she ends up hospitalized. And at her bedside? Her half-sister’s best friend—who she didn’t even know existed—is ready to help her through recovery. Oh, and did I mention that best friend is Daunis?!?

As Lucy heals, we begin to piece together her past, especially her experiences in the foster care system. Slowly, the reasons behind her flight start to come into focus.

This story is just so powerful—it’s about identity, loving imperfect people, finding family you didn’t know you had, moving through trauma, embracing your own imperfections, and the critical role of ICWA. It shows what happens when the foster care system fails to follow the protections ICWA puts in place.

At its core, this is a story of self-discovery and self-acceptance. It’s heavy, yes—but it’s also stunning. I truly loved it, and I HIGHLY recommend this book—and every single one of Angeline Boulley’s books—to everyone, always.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and co. for the ARC.

“The ultimate survival game is for girls to survive into adulthood.” … “Some girls don’t survive.”

When we meet Lucy, it’s obviously that she always has one foot out the door. She makes it clear that she’s running from her past, but we don’t know why. She soon encounters someone that promises they want to help her and they know things about her maternal side. The fact that she is Native American on her mother’s side and she does have family that would love to know her.

From there we hit the ground running with her workplace being bombed the day she decides she needs to run again. We are given flashbacks that provide insight to her childhood and time spent in the foster care system. In real time, we are following her recovery after the bombing and sitting with her as she learns more about her heritage, her family, and how the foster care system doesn’t always protect Indigenous children.

This story explores themes of identity, belonging, and survival within the foster care system and highlights the importance of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).

This book had me wanting to learn more about ICWA and I feel for all the girls, boys, and people in foster care. The system is so messed up, but sometimes, things go well. That’s a little part of what this book reminds us about. Part beautiful, part tragic, but it is still reality for many. This is a love letter to those the system didn’t protect.

I absolutely loved this book! Angeline Boulley has done it again and I still can’t put my thoughts into words! I need therapy and compensation for what this story put me through. I was literally screaming and crying by the end and my cat was wondering if I lost my mind. Angeline really knows how to write such real characters and tough stories, while still making sure you enjoy part of the ride. This book is connected to her first 2 stories, but can be read as a standalone; there are some familiar faces from the previous books. 5 stars across the board!!!

Angeline Boulley's Sisters in the Wind is a powerful thriller that centers on a young woman's journey to uncover her past and reclaim her identity. The novel follows Lucy, who has spent years in the foster care system, as she learns she is Ojibwe and has a family she never knew about.

The book is a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery with a deeply human story. Boulley seamlessly integrates important themes about the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the complexities of the foster system, and the enduring nature of Indigenous identity and community.

For fans of Boulley'she offers a welcome return to the same world, with appearances by beloved characters. However, it also stands on its own as a compelling and he artbreakingly hopeful story. The narrative, which moves between two timelines, adds to the suspense and reflects the protagonist's fragmented past, making for a truly gripping and unforgettable read.. And will break your heart, but you'll love it.

Angeline Boulley does it again. This book felt different from her other two somehow and I can’t put into words what that difference is. Maybe it’s that this one felt more emotional than mysterious to me. It was still a great mystery to be sure but I was more focused on Lucy’s family journey.

Although it’s YA, this is not a book to be read lightly as it deals with incredibly heavy topics.

My first thought is miigwetch, Angeline Boulley, for sharing your talent and your art.
And second, how dare you?!

It took me a while to write a review for this novel, because I had a difficult time separating my thoughts from the those of the series as a whole (and also, it’s hard to write when you’re crying), but really why should I? Each installment is tied together is a messy but beautiful way just as is all our stories.

Sisters in the Wind was perhaps the most emotional and raw of Boulley’s three novels, and each page tore at my heart. Racing the past with the present until they crash, with secrets kept until they exploded, this book can’t be put down.

I truly hope the future holds more of Boulley’s art for us.

(I requested and received a free Advanced Reader Copy of this book through NetGalley because the description caught my attention. I was not required to review this book and did not receive compensation for my time and review. All opinions are my own.)

4.5 stars. Another compelling novel from Boulley set in the same universe as her first two novels. You don't have to have read Firekeeper's Daughter to follow Sisters in the Wind, but I do highly recommend reading it first just to deepen your enjoyment of this story, especially when beloved characters from the book eventually make their appearances. Lucy has had a very rough time of it ever since her father died five years earlier. She's had to battle through the foster system in some really horrible placements, and she's basically living on the run to hide from bad people in her past. One day, a man shows up at the diner where Lucy works and tells her that she is part Ojibwe and that her birth family wants to know her. As Lucy learns more about her cultural heritage, her past is revealed through flashbacks. There's an entire thriller/mystery element to the story that felt a little overblown, but overall this is a story with so much heart that I was able to go along for the ride on the more implausible plot points. Boulley is masterful at sharing Indigenous history and the atrocities, both historic and current, done to Indigenous people, without ever bashing the reader over the head with it. Instead, those points are intricately woven into the stories she tells, which is so effective. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. for a digital review copy.

“Sisters in the Wind” is the story of Lucy Smith, a young indigenous girl from Michigan who enters the foster care system after her father passes away from cancer. The book is told as a dual timeline, alternating between the present day and the past. I loved Lucy’s journey to connect with her Ojibwe heritage and that the story highlights struggles that indigenous people face in the USA today. The story certainly has darker elements to it and I would not consider it a light-hearted read.

While “Sisters in the Wind” is not listed as part of the Firekeeper’s Daughter series, the book does feature both Daunis and Jamie in significant roles. I don’t think it’s necessary to have read Firekeeper’s Daughter first, but it will provide additional context to the story and characters.

There is a mystery element to the story that brought intrigue, but ultimately went a little off the rails for me at the end (which is why it’s not quite 5 stars for me). Overall, I really enjoyed the book and love that it highlights stories that we often don’t hear enough about and deserve more attention.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sisters in the Wind grabbed me from the opening scene! Lucy grabbed hold of me and didn’t let go. Lucy has been in the foster care system since the death of her father. When she is tracked by a strange man, she has to reckon with the past that she’s been trying to outrun.

I absolutely couldn’t put Sisters in the Wind down! Lucy is such a lovable and fierce character who readers will love. She has had to fight for herself through unimaginable circumstances. The scenes intersperse between flashbacks and the present. As the story unspools to reveal Lucy’s childhood and what she is running from, it becomes impossible to look away.

Sisters in the Wind is an unflinching look at the foster care system and how it fails girls, especially vulnerable Native/indigenous girls. I loved the cameos of Daunis, Jamie, and the echoes of Lily that come through in this story. Sisters in the Wind is the kind of story that will make you laugh, cry, and ache. It’s an emotional, yet realistic, story that will stay with me long past the last page. I can’t wait to read what Angeline Boulley writes next!

Thank you to Angeline Boulley, Henry Holt & Co, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Sisters in the Wind is a powerful, layered story that places Lucy at its center while weaving in familiar characters, Daunis and Jamie, in ways that deepen her journey.

Most of the novel belongs to Lucy. The story unfolds in a dual timeline, moving between her past and present while layering in the trauma, resilience, and strength that define her character. Early on, something awful happens to her, and even well into the book the truth of who is after her remains hidden. The slow, deliberate build of suspense feels like puzzle pieces clicking into place, drawing readers closer to Lucy’s truth.

While Daunis and Jamie aren’t the primary focus, their stories resurface at key moments to help Lucy connect, trust, and find her footing. Jamie, now acting as her lawyer, becomes a fierce protector, while Daunis offers the steady presence Lucy needs. These glimpses not only expand the world of the earlier novels but also show the ways community and kinship can create safety and healing.

One of the things I admire most about Boulley’s writing is her ability to weave reality into fiction. She incorporates Ojibwe language with pronunciation guides that make the text immersive and respectful, and she threads in history such as the Indian Child Welfare Act with careful research. These details ground the story in truth while still delivering a gripping narrative. I walked away feeling like I had both experienced a moving story and grown in my understanding of Native experiences.

Lucy’s foster placement at Hoppy Farm is one of the hardest parts to read — a stark reminder of how children in the system are too often placed in unsafe environments, disbelieved, and forced to grow up too quickly. Yet her gradual trust in Daunis and Jamie is moving, showing how connection and advocacy can make a difference.
And then the ending. It surprised me in ways I didn’t expect — some moments I didn’t want to see happen — yet there was beauty in the pain. Boulley doesn’t shy away from difficult truths, but she writes them with care, showing resilience and hope even in heartbreak.

Overall, Sisters in the Wind is everything I hope for in a Boulley novel: suspenseful, culturally rich, emotionally layered, and unflinchingly honest. While fans of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed will be glad to revisit Daunis and Jamie, Lucy’s story is the beating heart of this novel — and one that will stay with me for a long time.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. This review is my own, honest opinion.

Further proof that Boulley is a master storyteller!! I absolutely LOVED this third book set in the same universe as Firekeeper's daughter. While this book follows the life of a young Indigenous teen orphan, Lucy who has aged out of the foster system, we also get feature cameos from Daunis and Jamie.

Spanning years and told in alternating timelines we see how Lucy's life in various foster homes was an increasingly terrible situation. While she did meet some people who held a place in her heart, it isn't until she her last placement, a farm where everything seems idyllic until Lucy starts to dig deeper and uncovers a shocking scheme of forced adoption and baby farming.

Haunting, suspenseful and tragically sad at times, the story does ultimately end on hopeful note. This book gave me ALL THE FEELS and was excellent on audio!! I can't recommend it enough. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. While it is part of an interconnected series it can be read as a standalone too.

Lucy Smith was raised by her white father that her mother was of Italian and Latino heritage, but some adults in her life referred to her as native american, but after her father's death and her step-mother's betrayal she has lived her life in various foster placements. It's 2006 and she is 18 and living on her own until a pipe bomb goes off at the resturant at which she works and she ends up under the care of Jamie and Daunis (the primary protagonists in "The Firekeeper's Daughter"), who want to help connect her to her native roots and possibily her native biological mother, but Lucy knows she is being hunted and must find away to escape and go on the run again. Boulley helps build the tension and mystery through the various flashback chapters of Lucy's childhood with her father and foster placements, especially her final foster placement on "The Farm" where her foster parents aren't the loving, caring people they seem to be. The climax is a little over the top but everything ties together very well. Another winner from Boulley who again makes the reader aware of the various social injustices not only to native american children but to any children who are put in exploitive foster care situations. Recommended to teens and adult fans of Boulley's previous works.

omg this is my favorite @angelineboulley book so far, and the other two were also five star reads for me. i absolutely DEVOURED this one

it is so deeply sad and emotional, like her others, but the way the story was told with the flashbacks, i just couldn’t put it down.

as per usual, i always learn something knew about the injustices that native americans face. i knew a bit about native women being forced and coerced into giving their babies away, but i did not know about ICWA and all it entailed. this book shed a harsh light on the reality of religion, foster care, and adoption.

along with that, it was compelling take on flawed people and the complex relationships that surround them. i really resonated with the theme of loving imperfect people. i felt such a maternal feeling toward lucy the entire story. my heart hurt for her so often.

i cried throughout the story, but i absolutely sobbed when she read the sign when she arrived to sugar island. i genuinely loved this book so much, definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

now here’s the question: do you have to read the other two books to read this one? the simple answer is no, you don’t. there is definitely enough context that if you didn’t already know daunis and jamie, it would still make sense. however, if you plan to read the firekeepers daughter then you should definitely read it first, because this book will spoil it. i don’t think warrior girl unearthed would need to be read because it takes place after this story. however, i strongly recommend reading them all because they’re all amazing.

*thanks to netgalley & macmillan for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

I had no clue this was going to be a semi-continuation of Firekeeper's Daughter (one of my all time fave books). This was very educational about Native American culture and the foster care system, thrilling, entertaining, and of course absolutely heart breaking.

I had personal issues with the ending and I'll admit I was not a fan. She and I will be having words!!!

Angeline Boulley is a must read author for me. I can’t read her books once. I race through the first time, letting the suspense flow through me. I reread for all the small details. Finally, I listen to hear the language well-spoken. This book covers so much: social justice, ICWA, grief, foster care, colon cancer, teen pregnancy, adoption. MC Lucy does not know she is Ojibwe. Her dad adored her but denied her any knowledge of her mother’s Ojibwe identity and culture. When he dies, Lucy ultimately ends up in foster care. Who can she trust? Will she survive? After reading this twice, I can’t wait to listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Like Boulley’s other books, this was brutal in the best ways. Her storytelling is really unparalleled. She’s able to teach so much about Ojibwe and indigenous culture and laws in a way that feels so natural. The characters and stories were so compelling, but the topics were so heavy. I couldn’t put it down at times and other times needed to really digest. She also weaves her characters from her other novels in such smart ways but also in a way that each book is still standalone. I would highly recommend reading this one when it releases September 2nd!

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to @henryholtbooks for the advanced copy to review!

Y’all. @angelineboulley never misses. Her books are ALWAYS incredible, full of rich and flawed and wonderful characters, packed with emotional punches, and full of Indigenous life. I have been obsessed since reading Firekeeper’s Daughter. In case you were wondering, these books can be read as standalones BUT I would recommend reading them in pub order.

Sisters In the Wind had me completely captivated from page one. I wanted to fly through it but also savor the journey Lucy went on. The dual timelines in this story were *so* effective. My heart raced each time we went back and forth. The mystery was fantastic. I loved seeing Daunis and Jamie again. I LOVED the twists and turns this story took. Watching Lucy grow was a privilege. That ending!!! Had me shook!!!

I would return to this world again and again, because how can I not? No spoilers - but let me tell you, this book is NOT to be missed. It is so fresh and interesting and heartbreaking and there are also beautiful moments of levity.

Absolutely recommend. I preordered and will patiently wait for my opportunity to see Angeline in person again because she is AMAZING and I have to add this one to my signed collection

After loving Firekeeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley has become an auto-read author for me. I loved her story Warrior Girl Unearthed as well, and found it so interesting that this story (Sisters in the Wind) occurs chronologically before WGU. Now I’m actually tempted to re-read them all in hopes to pick up on things I may have missed the first go-around!

Sisters in the Wind had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I could never predict the next twist or turn the book would take me on, and it was intense and mysterious throughout. At some points when I was past mid-point of the book, I wish I had known a little more about what Lucy was running from and who she was afraid of, but I understood the story enough overall to keep enjoying it.

Some of the foster families in this story were diabolical. And it was so interesting learning about ICWA (the Indian Child Welfare Act, enacted in 1978) and how it was supposed to help protect Native America children by working to have them stay within their communities during child-custody cases, and have tribal support and involvement whenever possible.

At times this story was honestly bananas. However, it kept me intrigued and needing to know what would happen next the whole time, so I loved it! Plus I appreciated Lucy’s story, and loved seeing more of Daunis and Jamie.

Having never known her mother and losing her father to colon cancer, Lucy finds her way into the foster care system. While some placements result in strong relationships and a new sense of home, others reveal the insidiousness of humanity. Lucy learns its best to keep to yourself, to not get attached, and to move quickly without noticed. But when her past catches up to her in violent and dangerous ways, she must rely on her newfound friends, and possibly family, to protect her.

This book has all the classic Boulley staples. The reader can look forward to learning more about the systemic issues that impact indigenous communities. The majority of this novel focuses on the foster care system and ICWA, as well as violence against girls and women. The central mystery is thrilling, complex, and not entirely predictable. I particularly liked that we got to return to Daunis and Jamie from "The Firekeeper's Daughter", although I do wish I had done a reread before turning to this one. And I'll give Boulley a pass on that ending (she did us dirty...) because it made sense to me for the storyline and characters, but I really wanted it not to.

What I disliked about this book were the same aspects I've disliked in Boulley's previous work. The foreshadowing tends to be a bit heavy handed, and parts of the advocacy for social issues feel forced. There were times when I felt the author wanted me to dislike Lucy because of her unexplained past, as she alluded to doing awful things during her time in foster care. I think this was supposed to make readers suspect her of actually having perpetrated events in the story, but ultimately, it didn't work for me. Suspending disbelief became tricky in a few places as a result.

Reading of Boulley's earlier work will love this newest book. I can see this being enjoyable for teen readers, but probably for an older teen as the topics are a bit more mature than the previous two.

Sisters in the Wind is the third book in Angeline Boulley’s loosely connected YA trilogy, which includes Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed. Each focuses on a different teenager from the same Ojibwe community, though Lucy Smith, the protagonist of Sisters in the Wind, begins the book unaware of her heritage.

Lucy was raised by her white father who told her that her mother relinquished all parental rights when she was young. He told her the bare minimum about her mother, and so, after her father dies, and Lucy is left with only her cold, uncaring stepmother, she’s adrift. Eventually, after a definitive break with her stepmother, Lucy navigates the foster system on her own.

The novel opens with Lucy working in a diner and on her own—she feels safer without close relationships, and so she has tried to keep herself at a distance from everyone. If someone gets too close, she leaves.

When an attorney shows up at the diner with what seems to be a random offer of help, Lucy is immediately suspicious and starts planning her escape, ready to pack up and leave to keep herself safe.

And then something happens that keeps her firmly in place.

Sisters in the Wind is set between Boulley’s previous books, and it was lovely to revisit characters from those novels. Lucy is a compelling protagonist, and her journey to finding the truth about her identity and the support of the community that she’s never known is a powerful one. I greatly appreciated the information woven through the book about the Indian Child Welfare Act, and how it should have protected Lucy from the lack of connection that has plagued her.

As in Firekeeper’s Daughter and, particularly, Warrior Girl Unearthed, there’s also a sort of mystery/thriller plot that propels the story, and I didn’t find it to be quite as seamless as I’d hoped, though I certainly wanted to know how everything would resolve.

Despite that caveat, I’m a big fan of Boulley’s work, and I’ll definitely be eager to read whatever she writes next. I’ll absolutely be including this one in my classroom library.

An impactful YA novel full of mystery, drama, trauma, and a bit of romance and suspense. Follow along as the FMC finds out more about where she came from and the people who care for her, with flashbacks to traumatic events and experiences from her time in foster care.