In Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley, teenage Daunis Fontaine is an unenrolled Ojibwe tribe member, which means learning the ceremonies, attending dances, remembering the prayers, and speaking the Ojibwe language, but not having a vote on tribal matters or receiving the per-cap money from the tribal casino.  This is her dual identity in general, since she is Ojibwe Firekeeper from her father and wealthy French Catholic Fontaine from her mother. Her family is complicated in other ways, too: her half-brother Levi is just a few months younger than she is, born to their father’s wife.

One night, Daunis sees an awful attack on her friend, and discovers that this is just a tiny part in a wider criminal network, blending drugs and corruption at all different levels. A chance to work as an undercover informant could help her get justice for her friend and safety for others in the community, but it’ll also mean keeping secrets from those closest to her and maybe revealing community information to outsiders. There is a very real sense of danger, and an awareness that the cops are not the good guys.  

I liked how complicated this investigation was, and how Daunis handled her conflicts. There was less about Bad Guys vs Good Guys, although the villains really are evil. They’re not just breaking the law, they’re exploiting the powerless and hurting the whole community. But Daunis has to question if law enforcement is actually 100% on her side here and which local secrets she should share with outsiders. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter is a solid mystery, with sleuthing and science combining with respect for the community. This desire to find out more and answer the questions along with Daunis pulls readers in. (This is one of the things that worked for me in Lightseekers, too.)

I liked how complex the characters were, even the minor ones, which helped to develop the community and Daunis’ reactions. For example, one of the boys has parents who love him very much and are desperately unreliable caretakers due to their addiction struggles, and these things are both true at the same time.

Firekeeper’s Daughter was an engrossing coming-of-age and mystery story, in modern Native life. If you don’t know very much about Ojibwe customs or life when you start reading, you can still understand the plot of this book and you’ll get to discover and learn more about the culture as you follow Daunis’ choices. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter is written by Angeline Boulley and will be published by Henry Holt and Co. on March 16, 2021