Warrior Girl Unearthed

By: Angeline Boulley

Narrated by: Isabella Star LaBlanc

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year 2023

Named One of BookPage's Best Audiobooks of 2023

"Actor Isabella Star LaBlanc excels at leading the reader deeper into the story with a tone that exudes both intriguing mystery and genuine emotion."—BookPage

"Isabella Star LaBlanc, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota narrator, accurately delivers Native intonations and rhythms while narrating a second book about an Indigenous heroine from Sugar Island, Michigan. LaBlanc excels at weaving a gripping plot, Perry's snarky wisdom, and a lyrical blending of languages."—AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award Winner)

"LeBlanc’s captivating voice draws readers in, expressing every mundane, sweet, heartbreaking, and life-threatening moment."—School Library Journal

From the New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter comes a thrilling YA mystery about a Native teen who must find a way to bring an ancestor home to her tribe.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right–for the ancestors and for their community.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2023 Angeline Boulley (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

So well written!

This book is interesting and educational. Ms. Boulley is a captivating author with many stories to tell that should be heard by all.

Exciting

I loved how contemporary Indigenous issues were woven with historical facts, humor and an exciting modern day story. This book is now one of my favorites. I will be highly recommending it to all my friends & family.

Informative and descriptive, I am in love with the culture

Immediately after I finished the Firekeeper’s Daughter, I purchased this book. I’m so grateful that there was another one, as I am in love with the characters and the culture. It’s so refreshing to have a smart, resourceful female protagonist. I hope the author continues to write about these characters as I love their story, and I am now invested. 

The best book you will listen to this year has it all. Love intrigue danger and wisdom

What I like most about the story is that it is written in as much Ojibw'ay as English. This technique brings the. Reader into the story like a gold plated invitation. By such th reader is taught some of the language and made to feel welcome in a story line that could otherwise beawkwardlyy excluding.yet at the same time this technique also and Quite to the contrary allows the reader to fbetter feel the very real pain f the character’feel for the loss/theft of their ancestral heritage.the writing i flaslight illuminates the contents ofwe alll hope miss boulley writes another book soon!

I love listening and learning more about your culture and the similarities between our Navajo teachings and Ojibwe.

I really loved hearing the Ojibwe language throughout the book as well learning about ceremonies and culture.

Standalone but read Firekeepers Daughter first.

Informative, well-written, couldn't put it down. It's another mystery on Sugar Island. There are references to things that happened in Firekeeper's Daughter, so while it's not necessary to read it first, I think you should!

Wonderful story

Eventful, informative, and moving! A must experience book! It is a great continuation of fire keepers daughter.

Love

This was a great continuation to the first book. It kept my attention and I wanted to keep listening!

There’s a lot in here

I enjoyed this book but I do have a couple of minor criticisms. There was a lot packed into this story and it sometimes worked against itself. The story uses NAGPRA and MMIW as it devices when maybe using one would have been enough. But even so - Boulley does push to the fore many of the injuries amd injustices Native People experience all the time and Perry Firekeeper Birch is a reliably angry teen who reacts the way most people would. She is believable and Boulley uses her to help us understand why rash action and violence- though momentarily satisfying— rarely lead to desired outcomes in the long run. I would highly recommend this novel for those who enjoy suspense and those who’d like to consider what it’s like to grow up on or near Sugar Island in a loving community.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I listened to this book. It was great to hear the regional references in an accurate representation of the geography of the area.