Status
Checked out
Call number
Call number
FIC BOU c. 2
Collection
Description
Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.
Publication
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (2021), 496 pages
Original publication date
2021
Original language
English
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member kmartin802
Daunis Fontaine is a young woman pulled between cultures. She is the illegitimate daughter of a White mother and Ojibwe father. Her mother was sixteen when she was born and her White grandparents didn't want her to have anything to do with her father's people. Her mother rebelled and made sure that
Daunis has just graduated from high school and had intended to leave home for the University of Michigan to begin her studies to be a doctor. But her Uncle David has recently died and her GrandMary has suffered a stroke which has left her mother in a very fragile state of mind. Daunis has changed her plans and is now going to attend the nearby community college with her best friend Lily in order to stay at home and take care of her mother.
Only plans change again when her friend Lily is killed by Lily's ex Travis who has become a meth head and who then kills himself. Daunis and her new friend Jamie are quick to come upon the scene. There she learns that her new fried is an undercover cop sent to investigate the growing meth problem on the reservation. Lily agrees to become a confidential informant to try to get to the bottom of the drug problem on the Rez. Her knowledge of chemistry and her in with both the Whites and the Natives puts her in a powerful position to be of help. But it also puts her in a position to learn a number of secrets that she would prefer not to know.
This excellent story is filled with information about Ojibwe beliefs and rituals and culture. It is also a great depiction of the hockey culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. An it is an excellent mystery/thriller that kept me guessing about the whole situation. Along the way there is a growing love story between Daunis and Jamie that was filled with much more than the usual "getting to know you" of a normal relationship.
It was wonderful watching Daunis grow into her own power as a strong Native woman and decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
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Daunis knew her father's family. While Daunis loves her grandparents, she also loves and honors her Native family and its traditions.Daunis has just graduated from high school and had intended to leave home for the University of Michigan to begin her studies to be a doctor. But her Uncle David has recently died and her GrandMary has suffered a stroke which has left her mother in a very fragile state of mind. Daunis has changed her plans and is now going to attend the nearby community college with her best friend Lily in order to stay at home and take care of her mother.
Only plans change again when her friend Lily is killed by Lily's ex Travis who has become a meth head and who then kills himself. Daunis and her new friend Jamie are quick to come upon the scene. There she learns that her new fried is an undercover cop sent to investigate the growing meth problem on the reservation. Lily agrees to become a confidential informant to try to get to the bottom of the drug problem on the Rez. Her knowledge of chemistry and her in with both the Whites and the Natives puts her in a powerful position to be of help. But it also puts her in a position to learn a number of secrets that she would prefer not to know.
This excellent story is filled with information about Ojibwe beliefs and rituals and culture. It is also a great depiction of the hockey culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. An it is an excellent mystery/thriller that kept me guessing about the whole situation. Along the way there is a growing love story between Daunis and Jamie that was filled with much more than the usual "getting to know you" of a normal relationship.
It was wonderful watching Daunis grow into her own power as a strong Native woman and decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
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LibraryThing member acargile
Firekeeper's Daughter , a well-written novel, successfully places the reader in a Native American modern environment.
People talk about diverse novels a lot. Sometimes, a book merely consists of friends being white, black, brown, whatever, and it's considered diverse. While I agree books should
Daunis Fontaine's parents tragically fell in love, but they could never be together because her father belongs to the Ojibwe tribe and her mother comes from one of the wealthiest families in town who didn't approve of their daughter spending time with this tribesman. Daunis, therefore, fits in neither world perfectly. Looking forward to a new start, Daunis plans to leave for college until her grandmother ends up in a facility, unable to take care of herself as she approaches the end of her life. Daunis can't leave her anxiety-ridden mother to shoulder the responsibility alone. Daunis decides to attend a local college with her best friend Lily.
Daunis surrounds herself with her culture. She feels responsible for her mother and works to keep mom's anxiety level low, visiting her grandmother every morning after her run. Daunis also runs defense for her best friend who has broken up with her drug-addicted boyfriend. She feels close to her half-brother, Levi, who watches out for her even though she doesn't need it. She's more than capable of taking care of herself. They also have a close-knit set of friends from hockey. Daunis and Levi are amazing hockey players, although Daunis no longer plays.
Jamie, a new hockey player, arrives and every girl is smitten. Levi asks Daunis to show him the ropes because he has a girlfriend and he knows she won't attack him. Of course, Jamie and Daunis find they are drawn to each other, especially when they have to pretend to be boyfriend/girlfriend. A lot of reservation kids have been injured from a bad drug. There's an investigation to discover who is making and distributing the drug. Daunis feels highly motivated to help and agrees to work undercover with Jamie to discover who the drug makers and dealers are. As the novel progresses, more and more information reveals Daunis's past with her family and friends and why she no longer plays hockey.
I ordered this novel for our middle school library because two teachers requested it. I find it to be high school level--not that we don't have some really good readers who will like it. It's reviewed for ages 14+. As we have 15 year old students on campus, this novel is geared to our older students. The novel discusses drug addiction as well as distributing and manufacturing drugs. it doesn't tell one how to do it, rest assured. Perhaps the most mature part of the novel comes with the role of the women. The statistics used represent a woman's life within a reservation, so it's not all women. Of course, what happens to these women happens to women around the world from all socio-economics status and in regards to all colors. Sex and rape are referenced within the context of this community. In essence, this novel requires a mature reader who understands the novel represents life on a reservation and it's a fictional story about tracking down bad people who do not seem to care that their product causes people to die. It's all about the money! It's well-done and has a good message.
People talk about diverse novels a lot. Sometimes, a book merely consists of friends being white, black, brown, whatever, and it's considered diverse. While I agree books should
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reflect real life where we have friends of many color, I also feel that a truly diverse book teaches me about a culture naturally. The references to culture exist within the story as it does in life instead of placed in where the book is obviously saying, "Hey--look, I'm pointing out my diversity here." What makes this novel better arises from its ability to place you in the Ojibwe culture. Daunis Fontaine's parents tragically fell in love, but they could never be together because her father belongs to the Ojibwe tribe and her mother comes from one of the wealthiest families in town who didn't approve of their daughter spending time with this tribesman. Daunis, therefore, fits in neither world perfectly. Looking forward to a new start, Daunis plans to leave for college until her grandmother ends up in a facility, unable to take care of herself as she approaches the end of her life. Daunis can't leave her anxiety-ridden mother to shoulder the responsibility alone. Daunis decides to attend a local college with her best friend Lily.
Daunis surrounds herself with her culture. She feels responsible for her mother and works to keep mom's anxiety level low, visiting her grandmother every morning after her run. Daunis also runs defense for her best friend who has broken up with her drug-addicted boyfriend. She feels close to her half-brother, Levi, who watches out for her even though she doesn't need it. She's more than capable of taking care of herself. They also have a close-knit set of friends from hockey. Daunis and Levi are amazing hockey players, although Daunis no longer plays.
Jamie, a new hockey player, arrives and every girl is smitten. Levi asks Daunis to show him the ropes because he has a girlfriend and he knows she won't attack him. Of course, Jamie and Daunis find they are drawn to each other, especially when they have to pretend to be boyfriend/girlfriend. A lot of reservation kids have been injured from a bad drug. There's an investigation to discover who is making and distributing the drug. Daunis feels highly motivated to help and agrees to work undercover with Jamie to discover who the drug makers and dealers are. As the novel progresses, more and more information reveals Daunis's past with her family and friends and why she no longer plays hockey.
I ordered this novel for our middle school library because two teachers requested it. I find it to be high school level--not that we don't have some really good readers who will like it. It's reviewed for ages 14+. As we have 15 year old students on campus, this novel is geared to our older students. The novel discusses drug addiction as well as distributing and manufacturing drugs. it doesn't tell one how to do it, rest assured. Perhaps the most mature part of the novel comes with the role of the women. The statistics used represent a woman's life within a reservation, so it's not all women. Of course, what happens to these women happens to women around the world from all socio-economics status and in regards to all colors. Sex and rape are referenced within the context of this community. In essence, this novel requires a mature reader who understands the novel represents life on a reservation and it's a fictional story about tracking down bad people who do not seem to care that their product causes people to die. It's all about the money! It's well-done and has a good message.
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LibraryThing member DianaTixierHerald
Set near Sault St. Marie on Michigan's UP, and 18 year old college freshman, the daughter of a dead Native American man and a White woman faces many losses and is sucked into a relationship with a young federal agent when she becomes an informant in a meth investigation.
LibraryThing member Hccpsk
In the author’s note of The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley says she wanted to write a contemporary, Native Nancy Drew character who used her culture and community as her greatest strength. Daunis Fontaine meets those goals and more. With a Native father and white mother who never
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married, Daunis never felt accepted in her Ojibwe community. When drugs and murder bring the FBI to her UP Michigan town, she goes undercover to help find out who is behind all of the trouble. Boulley adds just the right amount of romance, family, feminism, hockey, and Native culture to the mystery to bring something for almost every reader. A huge recommendation for YA readers looking for a mystery or contemporary book with a strong female lead and a real social justice angle. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
I can't stop thinking about this book. the raw, emotional authenticity of it is jaw dropping. It's 2003 and Daunis is torn between two worlds; her tribal heritage on her father and brother's side and her prim, wealthy and white, mother's side. Her father's family took her under their wings even
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though her father died when she was seven and her mother raises her. Daunis never feels Indian enough or white enough - she is in between. Bad things come in threes and after her Uncle's death and her grandmother's decline she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it finally does it is even worse than she expected, Daunis' life will never be the same. How can she go on? And can she get involved and maybe help her community? Or will her involvement bring scrutiny to her heritage and her elders? This book is long and there are a few trigger warnings you should look up (I don't want to spoil too much) - but it is ABSOLUTELY WORTH YOUR TIME! I love that this Indigenous author sprinkled traditions, phrases, words, and experiences throughout this book. It's authentic and eye opening - I learned so much. I vague-booked this review because I don't want to spoil anything - just READ IT!! Show Less
LibraryThing member WhiskeyintheJar
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It’s hard to explain what it’s like being so connected to everyone and everything here … yet feeling that no one ever sees the whole me.
Daunis Fontaine is
Jamie Johnson is the new senior transfer and hot new hockey player but while Daunis is drawn to him, he never answers questions and always asks them.
Daunis has always felt the divide between her Zhaaganaash and Anishinaabe parentage sides, especially now more than ever as she must decide if she is helping or betraying.
To know zoongidewin is to face your fears with a strong heart.
Firekeeper's Daughter is a slice of life fictional story that is told solely in first person point-of-view from our main character Daunis. It was an absorbing tale that had me knowing Daunis inside and out but left some other characters feeling a little vague. When Daunis' mother was sixteen, she got pregnant by Levi Firekeeper, it was the tale of rich white girl who's family looked down on the Anishinaabe boy, even though he was an elite hockey player for the local team. More angst follows when Daunis' mom catches Levi cheating, he crashes his car breaking his legs and ending his hockey career and Daunis' grandparents do their best to keep Levi away. Levi ends up dying when Daunis is seven but she has a half-brother, Levi Jr, that she is close with and her Aunt Teddie from her dad's side keep Daunis connected to the Firekeepers. Daunis also has a bestfriend Lily who has a similar background and they bond over how they are descendants but not enrolled members of the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe. This push and pull Danuis experiences, sometimes from her own family members, was a big part of the fabric of the story and I thought the author did a great job portraying the emotions that Daunis had to learn to deal with when the racism came from strangers and her own family members.
Jamie Johnson is not who he says he is. And this is not a dream.
With this slice of life story, we get a little bit of romance, mystery, and some thriller. There's an immediate attraction between Daunis and the new guy Jamie. As Daunis is wary but trying to get to know Jamie, we see her friend Lily dealing with her ex-boyfriend Travis, who was also friends with Daunis. Travis is dealing with an addiction to Meth and we learn that the community has been dealing with an uptick of this. When Daunis witnesses a traumatic event, she sees Jamie and it finally clicks that he's an undercover cop. This is where the mystery comes in and Daunis is now acting as a confidential informant for the FBI and the task force investigating where a batch of meth that severely sickened kids in Minnesota came from and who is selling it. Daunis' activeness and the whole investigation, especially Jamie and his pretend Uncle, is very slow moving and not always front and center. It's a slow burn investigation that focuses more on how drugs come into this community and affects them through Daunis' eyes. There were times I wanted the investigation to be taken more seriously or more action but the focus here is more on Daunis learning how to honor both sides of her heritage and help without betraying her Anishinaabe family.
In this Newer New Normal I am living a lie as a confidential informant for the meth investigation connected to the deaths of my uncle and my best friend.
Daunis' newer new normal begins about 20% into the story, so Daunis working in the investigation encompasses most of the book. The book is also broken up into five parts and I saw Part One as the intro to Daunis and into the community and sets up Part Two where Daunis is a confidential informant, Part Three we know the investigated players and get a little bit of thriller, and then Part Four is the aftermath of what the investigation revealed. This takes place in 2004 and in a town in Michigan that rests on the border with Canada and I thought the author did a great job setting the time, place, and feel for the community. As I said earlier, Daunis is the standout character and I would have liked some others to be filled out more. I'm not sure we ever really got to know Jamie as much as I would have liked, Danuis' Aunt Teddie deserves to have her story written, and if this gets another book for a series, I want it to be about Daunis' ex-boyfriend T.J. Kewadin.
Wisdom is not bestowed. In its raw state, it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn’t.
I thought the ending was rushed and there's a little bit of info dump when players are revealed and motivations explained. There was also a rape scene that I'm not sure was handled as carefully as it could and should have been; it ended up feeling abruptly put in for some heaviness. I think this might read a little slow for young adults but has elements that will work to keep their attention, reading it as an adult, it kept me locked in. This window into Daunis' life was an affecting slice of life story and strong debut, I will definitely be on the lookout for future works by this author.
It’s hard to explain what it’s like being so connected to everyone and everything here … yet feeling that no one ever sees the whole me.
Daunis Fontaine is
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eighteen years old the year her uncle dies from an apparent drug overdose and her GrandMary Fontaine has a stroke. Daunis has decided to go to a local college that is closer to help her mother through the grief of it all. Jamie Johnson is the new senior transfer and hot new hockey player but while Daunis is drawn to him, he never answers questions and always asks them.
Daunis has always felt the divide between her Zhaaganaash and Anishinaabe parentage sides, especially now more than ever as she must decide if she is helping or betraying.
To know zoongidewin is to face your fears with a strong heart.
Firekeeper's Daughter is a slice of life fictional story that is told solely in first person point-of-view from our main character Daunis. It was an absorbing tale that had me knowing Daunis inside and out but left some other characters feeling a little vague. When Daunis' mother was sixteen, she got pregnant by Levi Firekeeper, it was the tale of rich white girl who's family looked down on the Anishinaabe boy, even though he was an elite hockey player for the local team. More angst follows when Daunis' mom catches Levi cheating, he crashes his car breaking his legs and ending his hockey career and Daunis' grandparents do their best to keep Levi away. Levi ends up dying when Daunis is seven but she has a half-brother, Levi Jr, that she is close with and her Aunt Teddie from her dad's side keep Daunis connected to the Firekeepers. Daunis also has a bestfriend Lily who has a similar background and they bond over how they are descendants but not enrolled members of the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe. This push and pull Danuis experiences, sometimes from her own family members, was a big part of the fabric of the story and I thought the author did a great job portraying the emotions that Daunis had to learn to deal with when the racism came from strangers and her own family members.
Jamie Johnson is not who he says he is. And this is not a dream.
With this slice of life story, we get a little bit of romance, mystery, and some thriller. There's an immediate attraction between Daunis and the new guy Jamie. As Daunis is wary but trying to get to know Jamie, we see her friend Lily dealing with her ex-boyfriend Travis, who was also friends with Daunis. Travis is dealing with an addiction to Meth and we learn that the community has been dealing with an uptick of this. When Daunis witnesses a traumatic event, she sees Jamie and it finally clicks that he's an undercover cop. This is where the mystery comes in and Daunis is now acting as a confidential informant for the FBI and the task force investigating where a batch of meth that severely sickened kids in Minnesota came from and who is selling it. Daunis' activeness and the whole investigation, especially Jamie and his pretend Uncle, is very slow moving and not always front and center. It's a slow burn investigation that focuses more on how drugs come into this community and affects them through Daunis' eyes. There were times I wanted the investigation to be taken more seriously or more action but the focus here is more on Daunis learning how to honor both sides of her heritage and help without betraying her Anishinaabe family.
In this Newer New Normal I am living a lie as a confidential informant for the meth investigation connected to the deaths of my uncle and my best friend.
Daunis' newer new normal begins about 20% into the story, so Daunis working in the investigation encompasses most of the book. The book is also broken up into five parts and I saw Part One as the intro to Daunis and into the community and sets up Part Two where Daunis is a confidential informant, Part Three we know the investigated players and get a little bit of thriller, and then Part Four is the aftermath of what the investigation revealed. This takes place in 2004 and in a town in Michigan that rests on the border with Canada and I thought the author did a great job setting the time, place, and feel for the community. As I said earlier, Daunis is the standout character and I would have liked some others to be filled out more. I'm not sure we ever really got to know Jamie as much as I would have liked, Danuis' Aunt Teddie deserves to have her story written, and if this gets another book for a series, I want it to be about Daunis' ex-boyfriend T.J. Kewadin.
Wisdom is not bestowed. In its raw state, it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn’t.
I thought the ending was rushed and there's a little bit of info dump when players are revealed and motivations explained. There was also a rape scene that I'm not sure was handled as carefully as it could and should have been; it ended up feeling abruptly put in for some heaviness. I think this might read a little slow for young adults but has elements that will work to keep their attention, reading it as an adult, it kept me locked in. This window into Daunis' life was an affecting slice of life story and strong debut, I will definitely be on the lookout for future works by this author.
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
This book had me hooked as Daunis navigates the year after high school, reeling from the death of her uncle and her best friend. A new, handsome hockey player comes to town. While she has always kept her hockey life and personal life compartmentalized, she makes an exception. She soon decides to
I marveled at how Daunis navigated through all the trauma she experienced over the course of this novel. I appreciated how the author wove in so many cultural traditions as part of Daunis' daily life.
Whoa! This is a book that will stick with me.
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become a CI (confidential informant) on a drug investigation within her tribe and into the hockey world. While torn, she takes this chance to try to help her people. She is living between two worlds with a white mother and a Ojibwe father. I marveled at how Daunis navigated through all the trauma she experienced over the course of this novel. I appreciated how the author wove in so many cultural traditions as part of Daunis' daily life.
Whoa! This is a book that will stick with me.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Daunis Fontaine is eighteen years old, daughter of a white woman and an Ojibwe man, an unenrolled tribal member with much-loved family on both sides of the divide. She's had to delay her plans to head off to college with the goal of becoming a doctor, and eventually scientifically studying
It's a challenging time for her, but there's a bright spot--the new guy, Jamie Johnson, on her brother Levi's hockey team. Yet something about this nice guy does not quite add up.
Answers start to come only after Daunis witnesses a former friend, Travis, shooting his ex-girlfriend, Lily, Daunis's best friend, and then himself. Soon Daunis is recruited as a "confidential informant" in an FBI drug investigation, and is learning secrets she didn't necessarily want to know.
This is a really good, moving look at a girl just reaching maturity, coping with conflicted loyalties, competing obligations, and truths about her family that she didn't suspect and wasn't prepared for. It's a painful coming of age for her, and she has to find her own strength. She's not just deciding where her loyalties really lie and what her values really are; she also has to decide what serving those loyalties and values really means. It feels very real to me as the story of a young woman at this point in her life, where she can no longer just trust her elders but has to make her own choices even if it divides her from people she cares about.
I'm in no position to evaluate the accuracy of the Native American aspects of the story, but the author is an enrolled member of the tribe she's writing about, and it seems to have been well received.
It's a really excellent book, and the narrator did a very good performance of it, also. Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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traditional medicines. Her uncle, her mother's brother died in what appeared to be a drug overdose, and then her maternal grandmother, GrandMary, had a stroke. Her mother needs her support.It's a challenging time for her, but there's a bright spot--the new guy, Jamie Johnson, on her brother Levi's hockey team. Yet something about this nice guy does not quite add up.
Answers start to come only after Daunis witnesses a former friend, Travis, shooting his ex-girlfriend, Lily, Daunis's best friend, and then himself. Soon Daunis is recruited as a "confidential informant" in an FBI drug investigation, and is learning secrets she didn't necessarily want to know.
This is a really good, moving look at a girl just reaching maturity, coping with conflicted loyalties, competing obligations, and truths about her family that she didn't suspect and wasn't prepared for. It's a painful coming of age for her, and she has to find her own strength. She's not just deciding where her loyalties really lie and what her values really are; she also has to decide what serving those loyalties and values really means. It feels very real to me as the story of a young woman at this point in her life, where she can no longer just trust her elders but has to make her own choices even if it divides her from people she cares about.
I'm in no position to evaluate the accuracy of the Native American aspects of the story, but the author is an enrolled member of the tribe she's writing about, and it seems to have been well received.
It's a really excellent book, and the narrator did a very good performance of it, also. Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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LibraryThing member sennebec
This reminds me in very favorable ways of the late Tony Hillerman as well as the terrific author William Kent Krueger. It blends Native American mythology/culture with contemporary issues many teens face. Think fitting in, drug and alcohol abuse, family violence, prejudice and secrets. All of these
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are mixed together to offer readers a seamless and enthralling plot. It deserves a place on every library shelf. Show Less
LibraryThing member megbmore
Daunis Fontaine has always kept hockey-world separate from the rest of her life, but an injury, the death of her uncle, and the arrival of a new star hockey player, Jamie, are causing the lines to blur for her. She gets closer and closer to Jamie, but feels he is keeping something from her. After
This taut and riveting #OwnVoices story mixes Ojibwe culture with healthy doses of intrigue, betrayal, and romance. Daunis is a strong character that readers will root for. For audiobook fans, this one is especially well-done.
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her best friend is murdered, Daunis seeks answers and Jamie reveals that he is an undercover agent investigating a meth ring. Daunis is brought on as a confidential informant, a role she takes because she wants to help her community. The secrets she helps to uncover, though, may end up ripping that community apart.This taut and riveting #OwnVoices story mixes Ojibwe culture with healthy doses of intrigue, betrayal, and romance. Daunis is a strong character that readers will root for. For audiobook fans, this one is especially well-done.
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LibraryThing member emquixotic
Wow this book seriously blew away my expectations. This is less young adult and more "new adult" and adult. I wouldn't recommend this book to immature teens or teens who may be unable to handle the traumatic events. The main character, Daunis, is 18 and ready to begin her first year of
A lot happens in this book including rape and the main character witnessing a murder. It takes place in 2004 which I'm so curious if teens reading this will enjoy or just be confused by. I graduated in 2004 (HS) and really enjoyed the references the author made to set the scene.
Looking forward to seeing this author talk about her book and so excited there are more Native American authors writing stories about their tribes and experiences.
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college--which was supposed to be UM Ann Arbor but she's decided to stay home for a year and attend Community College.A lot happens in this book including rape and the main character witnessing a murder. It takes place in 2004 which I'm so curious if teens reading this will enjoy or just be confused by. I graduated in 2004 (HS) and really enjoyed the references the author made to set the scene.
Looking forward to seeing this author talk about her book and so excited there are more Native American authors writing stories about their tribes and experiences.
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LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Amazing read. A good mystery. In-depth coverage of contemporary Objibwe culture. Daunis is a great character. And the romance is poignant. Reading Interest: 14-YA.
LibraryThing member oldandnewbooksmell
Trigger Warning(s): Meth addiction, murder, grief, mourning, kidnapping, mention of drug overdose
The Fire Keeper's Daughter is about a young woman, Daunis Fontaine, who, after witnessing a murder, goes undercover for the FBI to expose those trafficking drugs into the Ojibwe community. Even though
Oh wow, this is definitely moving into my Top 10 favorite book list for sure! I know it took me a bit longer to read than when I devour other books I love, but besides a few things happening in my personal life, I felt like this book deserved reading and fully understanding. Angeline Boulley writes about Native American culture and heritage, and because there are simply far too little stories being told by and about Native Americans, I felt like it deserves all the attention I could give it to fully understand. This book shines a light on Anishinaabe people and issues that they, and many other Indigenous communities will see themselves reflected in.
I was hooked on this novel within the first few pages - something about the way Boulley wrote Daunis' voice and narrative really caught me. And it stayed that way through the entire novel. This will be one I will be revisiting for sure and one that I will be recommending to everyone I know as well.
I would say this to be a New YA crime fiction. It has elements of YA in it, but also of Adult Fiction as well (hence the New YA part). Don't let the YA part of it scare you away though! This is something I would suggest going into it as blind as you can, regardless of your age. Like I said before, I'm going to be shoving it in as many people's hands as I possibly can.
*Thank you Bookish First and Henry Holt and Company for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
The Fire Keeper's Daughter is about a young woman, Daunis Fontaine, who, after witnessing a murder, goes undercover for the FBI to expose those trafficking drugs into the Ojibwe community. Even though
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she never truly felt like she belonged, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community.Oh wow, this is definitely moving into my Top 10 favorite book list for sure! I know it took me a bit longer to read than when I devour other books I love, but besides a few things happening in my personal life, I felt like this book deserved reading and fully understanding. Angeline Boulley writes about Native American culture and heritage, and because there are simply far too little stories being told by and about Native Americans, I felt like it deserves all the attention I could give it to fully understand. This book shines a light on Anishinaabe people and issues that they, and many other Indigenous communities will see themselves reflected in.
I was hooked on this novel within the first few pages - something about the way Boulley wrote Daunis' voice and narrative really caught me. And it stayed that way through the entire novel. This will be one I will be revisiting for sure and one that I will be recommending to everyone I know as well.
I would say this to be a New YA crime fiction. It has elements of YA in it, but also of Adult Fiction as well (hence the New YA part). Don't let the YA part of it scare you away though! This is something I would suggest going into it as blind as you can, regardless of your age. Like I said before, I'm going to be shoving it in as many people's hands as I possibly can.
*Thank you Bookish First and Henry Holt and Company for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member bell7
Daunis Fontaine is 18 and preparing for college with her best friend Lily in 2004. She's a white and Ojibwe woman who's unenrolled because her well-to-do grandparents refused to put her father on her birth certificate, and her identity is complicated by her constant bridging of two cultures. When
This was SO good. I loved Daunis and her narration as she digs into the mystery and debates how much to trust the mysterious Jamie Johnson, dealing with grief and loss in her family, and so much more. The author herself is an enrolled member of a Sault Ste. Marie tribe, and knows the area she's describing intimately. The complexity of the characters and their community is especially well done, and the investigation becomes riveting in the end as Daunis gets closer to solving who's behind the meth. The story ends in a satisfying way but I thought it left the possibility of a sequel open, and if there is one I will be on the library holds list ASAP.
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meth production (and addiction) threatens her community, FBI investigators ask her to be a confidential informant, leaving Daunis feeling even more in-between than usual while she navigates trying to help them and lying to her family to do it.This was SO good. I loved Daunis and her narration as she digs into the mystery and debates how much to trust the mysterious Jamie Johnson, dealing with grief and loss in her family, and so much more. The author herself is an enrolled member of a Sault Ste. Marie tribe, and knows the area she's describing intimately. The complexity of the characters and their community is especially well done, and the investigation becomes riveting in the end as Daunis gets closer to solving who's behind the meth. The story ends in a satisfying way but I thought it left the possibility of a sequel open, and if there is one I will be on the library holds list ASAP.
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LibraryThing member ftbooklover
Daunis Fontaine has never been considered as a member of her tribe because her mother is white, but she has learned the ways of the elders and has practiced her tribe's customs all of her life. As the new hockey season begins, Jamie joins her brother's team and seems interested in dating Daunis.
Fire Keeper's Daughter is labeled as a young adult novel, but should be listed as new adult due to the overwhelmingly adult content including kidnapping, sex, drug and alcohol abuse, rape, and murder. Even though the mystery and romance are engaging, the story seems overloaded with details, slowing down the pace of the book. While the characters are well developed, the number of characters makes it difficult to follow along at times. Overall, Fire Keeper's Daughter is a well written book with more elements than necessary to make it an excellent story.
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However, Jamie isn't who Daunis thinks he is because she finds out that he and his "uncle" are actually undercover agents trying to unearth a meth ring operating on the reservation. When Daunis's best friend is murdered right in front of her, she agrees to join the investigation as a confidential informant and as Jamie's "girlfriend." Secrets and lies lead to devastating information that changes Daunis's life forever.Fire Keeper's Daughter is labeled as a young adult novel, but should be listed as new adult due to the overwhelmingly adult content including kidnapping, sex, drug and alcohol abuse, rape, and murder. Even though the mystery and romance are engaging, the story seems overloaded with details, slowing down the pace of the book. While the characters are well developed, the number of characters makes it difficult to follow along at times. Overall, Fire Keeper's Daughter is a well written book with more elements than necessary to make it an excellent story.
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LibraryThing member fionaanne
This felt like it needed another round of edits; there's far too much unnecessary tedium and a distinct lack of narrative thrust. The setting is the book's strongest attribute but it's hard to carry a whole story on that.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
Daunis Fontaine is a young woman pulled between cultures. She is the illegitimate daughter of a White mother and Ojibwe father. Her mother was sixteen when she was born and her White grandparents didn't want her to have anything to do with her father's people. Her mother rebelled and made sure that
Daunis has just graduated from high school and had intended to leave home for the University of Michigan to begin her studies to be a doctor. But her Uncle David has recently died and her GrandMary has suffered a stroke which has left her mother in a very fragile state of mind. Daunis has changed her plans and is now going to attend the nearby community college with her best friend Lily in order to stay at home and take care of her mother.
Only plans change again when her friend Lily is killed by Lily's ex Travis who has become a meth head and who then kills himself. Daunis and her new friend Jamie are quick to come upon the scene. There she learns that her new fried is an undercover cop sent to investigate the growing meth problem on the reservation. Lily agrees to become a confidential informant to try to get to the bottom of the drug problem on the Rez. Her knowledge of chemistry and her in with both the Whites and the Natives puts her in a powerful position to be of help. But it also puts her in a position to learn a number of secrets that she would prefer not to know.
This excellent story is filled with information about Ojibwe beliefs and rituals and culture. It is also a great depiction of the hockey culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. An it is an excellent mystery/thriller that kept me guessing about the whole situation. Along the way there is a growing love story between Daunis and Jamie that was filled with much more than the usual "getting to know you" of a normal relationship.
It was wonderful watching Daunis grow into her own power as a strong Native woman and decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
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Daunis knew her father's family. While Daunis loves her grandparents, she also loves and honors her Native family and its traditions.Daunis has just graduated from high school and had intended to leave home for the University of Michigan to begin her studies to be a doctor. But her Uncle David has recently died and her GrandMary has suffered a stroke which has left her mother in a very fragile state of mind. Daunis has changed her plans and is now going to attend the nearby community college with her best friend Lily in order to stay at home and take care of her mother.
Only plans change again when her friend Lily is killed by Lily's ex Travis who has become a meth head and who then kills himself. Daunis and her new friend Jamie are quick to come upon the scene. There she learns that her new fried is an undercover cop sent to investigate the growing meth problem on the reservation. Lily agrees to become a confidential informant to try to get to the bottom of the drug problem on the Rez. Her knowledge of chemistry and her in with both the Whites and the Natives puts her in a powerful position to be of help. But it also puts her in a position to learn a number of secrets that she would prefer not to know.
This excellent story is filled with information about Ojibwe beliefs and rituals and culture. It is also a great depiction of the hockey culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. An it is an excellent mystery/thriller that kept me guessing about the whole situation. Along the way there is a growing love story between Daunis and Jamie that was filled with much more than the usual "getting to know you" of a normal relationship.
It was wonderful watching Daunis grow into her own power as a strong Native woman and decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
audio teen/adult fiction - crime/suspense in Ojibwe tribal reservation, Upper Peninsula Michigan (TW: rape and sexual assault, guns and violence, drug overdose--though not overly graphic)
The blurb doesn't sound particularly intriguing, except for the indigenous perspective, but this title got a ton
took a little while to get into the story (lots of characters) but once it got going it really got going. This has everything: danger/suspense, a probably unwise but irresistable romance, terrific storytelling, excellent narration, strong female characters, complete betrayal, world-class hockey, you name it.
The blurb doesn't sound particularly intriguing, except for the indigenous perspective, but this title got a ton
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of buzz from librarians and reviewers leading up to the ALA awards (it scored those in multiples), and after finishing the book I can see why. I kind of want to go back and reread the whole thing again but will maybe wait until the waitlist at my library has gone down; I want others to have the chance to read it.took a little while to get into the story (lots of characters) but once it got going it really got going. This has everything: danger/suspense, a probably unwise but irresistable romance, terrific storytelling, excellent narration, strong female characters, complete betrayal, world-class hockey, you name it.
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LibraryThing member Bodagirl
This was a story of layers: contemporary setting, respect for and participation in traditional practices, conflicting identities, coming of age story, detective story, and a little romance. I appreciate all of the knowledge that Boulley incorporated throughout the novel, though it did feel a little
LaBlanc's narration was also top notch. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook to hear the anishinaabemowin rather than trying to decipher it from the printed page.
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heavy handed at times, having Daunis give detailed explanations to Jamie repeatedly. I value that so many of the issues of native and indigenous identity were confronted and discussed unflinchingly. Neither the took away from the detective story aspect and many of them (meth epidemic and violence against native women, notably) added to the complexity of the mystery. The fact that the ending wasn't exactly a happily ever after kept this book rooted in reality, when it would have been so easy to tie everything up in a nice bow that so many books in both the mystery and romance genres do.LaBlanc's narration was also top notch. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook to hear the anishinaabemowin rather than trying to decipher it from the printed page.
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LibraryThing member deslivres5
YA Mystery novel which takes place in the Sault Ste. Marie area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, so close to Canada, at first I thought it actually was the setting.
Heartbreaking tragedies frame this crime/murder mystery.
Native American cultural representation, bi-racial representation, women in
The actress Isabella Star LaBlanc was a fabulous narrator of the audiobook.
I really didn't like something which happened at the end of Part 2 of the novel: Daunis is portrayed as so smart and strong but something terrible that happens seemed so out of character to me that I was spitting mad that the author would do this. So mad, I was gonna DNF this one.
But I pushed through and in Parts 3 and 4 I realized that including it really helped to further shed light on the myriad of injustices Native Americans face and Native American women in particular.
Heartbreaking tragedies frame this crime/murder mystery.
Native American cultural representation, bi-racial representation, women in
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hockey rep.The actress Isabella Star LaBlanc was a fabulous narrator of the audiobook.
I really didn't like something which happened at the end of Part 2 of the novel: Daunis is portrayed as so smart and strong but something terrible that happens seemed so out of character to me that I was spitting mad that the author would do this. So mad, I was gonna DNF this one.
But I pushed through and in Parts 3 and 4 I realized that including it really helped to further shed light on the myriad of injustices Native Americans face and Native American women in particular.
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LibraryThing member Dairyqueen84
I liked a lot about this book but I don't think I loved it as much as many other people. I loved the Indigenous point of view, main character, traditions, and culture in the book. Boulley did a great job weaving native language into the narrative with translation. Sometimes there appeared to be no
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translation which was confusing. She integrated romance and mystery for a compelling read, especially toward the end of the book. At times, especially the first half of the book the story was slow and plodding. Worth the read, though, for the insights into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, indigenous culture with its problems and triumphs. Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
There is so much to absorb in Angeline Boulley’s debut novel. The storyline is excellent, that of a girl beginning her college education being recruited by the FBI as an informer helping to track down the meth that is targeting tribal members. The slow start to the book is most appreciated as you
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end the story. The early pages set the stage for the Ojibwe way of life as it meets the needs of current tribal members. Daunis Firekeeper is an excellent protagonist. For a young woman, she has an amazing respect for her culture. Her mother is white, her father was Ojibwe. Never marrying Daunis’s white mother, he married a native woman and is later killed. Daunis’s half-brother, Levi, plays a major role in the story, both in the meth issue and hocky. If you live right next to Canada, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ice hockey rules supreme. If it were just the story plot of capturing the bad meth distributers, the story would be still good, but when you add in Daunis’s observations about a native culture that works to make women self-confident leaders, her respect for elders and the look at science and traditional medicine it becomes almost required reading. There’s a lot of violence in the book, violence against women and violence toward each other. One of my favorite parts is the Women’s Circle, who at night take a man who has mistreated a woman to a secluded area and hand out their own form of justice. The book is aimed at audiences 14 years old and up. It would make an excellent mother-daughter bookclub selections. And as Daunis knows the value (literally keeping her from dying) of strong and worthy elders, a discussion from different points of view would add to the enjoyment of the story. While many would say this is a plot driven story, without the variety and strengths and weaknesses of the characters, the story would not have the depth it does. Show Less
LibraryThing member alliepascal
Daunis Fontaine is half white and half Ojibwe, and her Grandmother Pearl always told her that bad things happen in threes. Within months, her Uncle David died and her GrandMary (Grandmother Mary) had a stroke and is now stuck in a long-term care facility. She can feel the third bad thing on the
This book's greatest strength is it's complete and total immersiveness in the culture of its setting. Boulley doesn't really hold your hand about terms that you might be unfamiliar with, and I actually really appreciated that. That's not to say it's weak in any other respect; on the contrary, I was impressed by this book on the whole. Boulley's writing, the prose in general but especially the dialogue between characters and the way they interact...the way Daunis is with her family, with her best friend, with a stranger who she might be falling for, all feel so authentic. It's engaging as a suspense thriller, and I also loved the complicated relationship Daunis has with Jaime
It might've dragged in parts? 50 or so pages I feel could've been edited out (it's fairly long at almost 500 pages). But really, I barely noticed.
Loved loved loved this book.
*I received an ARC from the publisher through BookishFirst
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horizon, so she decides to enroll in a college closer to home, with the idea that she can stop it. Well, the third bad thing happens... But even though she couldn't prevent that tragedy, she's given the chance to help prevent the circumstances that caused it from happening again.This book's greatest strength is it's complete and total immersiveness in the culture of its setting. Boulley doesn't really hold your hand about terms that you might be unfamiliar with, and I actually really appreciated that. That's not to say it's weak in any other respect; on the contrary, I was impressed by this book on the whole. Boulley's writing, the prose in general but especially the dialogue between characters and the way they interact...the way Daunis is with her family, with her best friend, with a stranger who she might be falling for, all feel so authentic. It's engaging as a suspense thriller, and I also loved the complicated relationship Daunis has with Jaime
It might've dragged in parts? 50 or so pages I feel could've been edited out (it's fairly long at almost 500 pages). But really, I barely noticed.
Loved loved loved this book.
*I received an ARC from the publisher through BookishFirst
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Daunis is 18 and on the fence in so many aspects of her life: her mother is from a rich, white family and her father was Ojibwe; she’s between high school and the start of college; her ice hockey career is over, but her friends and her brother are still very much a part of that world; she’s
A little slow to start (for me), but once it got going, this one was a barnburner. I loved it. Boulley’s love for her hometown and her Ojibwe culture shines through so clearly, and that, along with her ability to write a plot with some excellent turns, make this a gorgeous read.
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still gun-shy from a bad break-up and yet she feels something happening between her and the new guy on the hockey team… Amongst all this, she is also dealing with the grief of her uncle’s suspicious death and the toll that meth is having on her community and peers. When she’s pulled into an investigation into who exactly is supplying meth in the area, all these areas of her life come crashing together, and she needs to find the strength to stay true to her own special identity while also fighting for her family, her culture, and her friends.A little slow to start (for me), but once it got going, this one was a barnburner. I loved it. Boulley’s love for her hometown and her Ojibwe culture shines through so clearly, and that, along with her ability to write a plot with some excellent turns, make this a gorgeous read.
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LibraryThing member OphelieDepoortere
It could have been a bit shorter, I would have given it the full 4 stars then.
ISBN
9781250766564