Summary
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a young adult novel set within the Ojibwe community in Northern Michigan. The novel follows Daunis Fontaine, a biracial teen who becomes involved in an FBI investigation after witnessing a crime. The story explores themes of identity and community as Daunis deals with the complexities of dual heritage and loyalties. Throughout the novel, Boulley depicts Ojibwe traditions along with challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
Plot
Firekeeper's Daughter focuses on Daunis Fontaine, an 18-year-old biracial member of the Ojibwe tribe who manages the challenges of balancing two distinct cultures. After a family tragedy disrupts her plans to pursue a medical degree, Daunis becomes the caretaker for her grandmother.
The murder of her best friend, Lily Chippeway, by Lily's boyfriend, Travis Flint, affects Daunis profoundly. Travis is addicted to meth, which prompts Daunis to join an FBI investigation into a local drug operation. She agrees to be a confidential informant to combat the drug crisis affecting her community. Daunis's involvement intensifies with the arrival of Jamie Johnson, a new member of her brother’s hockey team. Unknown to Daunis, Jamie is an undercover agent. His character and hidden motives adds a layer of complexity to the story.
As the investigation unfolds, Daunis discovers a network implicating local hockey players and worsening the meth crisis. Delving into her deceased Uncle David's journals, she discovers startling facts about widespread corruption and her brother Levi's hidden role in drug trafficking. In a tense climax, Daunis exits the criminal scene with her community’s help and confronts difficult truths exposed by the FBI.
Themes
Indigenous identity
Firekeeper’s Daughter explores Indigenous identity, belonging, and community life. The protagonist, Daunis Fontaine, navigates the complexities of her biracial heritage, balancing her Ojibwe roots and connection to her Anishinaabe family, with the challenges, including microaggressions from tribal members, of having a white mother.
The novel presents Ojibwe traditions as key elements of Daunis's everyday life. Practices such as offering semaa (tobacco) to the river as a sign of respect and engaging in traditional ceremonies underscore the importance of community ties and the passing on of generational knowledge. This depiction places Indigenous culture in a modern context and counters historical misrepresentations of Indigenous peoples. Throughout Firekeeper’s Daughter, Boulley honors the resilience and enduring spirit of the Ojibwe community.
Social issues
Firekeeper's Daughter, addresses social issues impacting Indigenous communities, such as the drug crisis, racism, colonialism, and violence against Native American women. The story follows Daunis Fontaine, a young woman who gets drawn into combating a drug epidemic in her Ojibwe community. This reflects the real-world methamphetamine surge among Native tribes. Daunis’s role as an undercover informant reveals a complex meth distribution network and an associated conspiracy affecting her community.
The book explores racial tensions and identity struggles through Daunis's mixed heritage. Her background includes a white, affluent family on her mother's side and Native American lineage on her father's side. This highlights themes of cultural displacement and prejudice, and Daunis’s quest for acceptance within both of her communities.
The narrative addresses high rates of violence against Native women through Daunis's experiences. It points to systemic failures where non-Native offenders avoid prosecution. Boulley's integration of these issues into Daunis's story reflects injustices faced by Indigenous peoples, raising awareness and fostering dialogue among diverse readers.
Characters
Daunis Fontaine: The protagonist, an 18-year-old biracial Native American woman with a passion for science and hockey. After the murder of her best friend, Daunis agrees to serve as a confidential informant for the FBI to dismantle a meth operation threatening her community.
Jamie Johnson: A newcomer on Daunis's brother's hockey team. Jamie partners with Daunis in the undercover investigation while concealing his past and motives.
Levi Firekeeper: Daunis's half-brother and captain of the Supes hockey team. His role in the meth crisis shocks Daunis during her investigation.
Uncle David: Although deceased, his notebooks reveal secrets that lead Daunis into a complex world of addiction and deceit.
GrandMary: Daunis’s grandmother with declining health, which prevents Daunis from pursuing her educational goals. This reflects her deep familial responsibilities.
Dana Firekeeper: Levi's mother, who adds complexity to family dynamics and connects to the broader drug narrative affecting their lives.
Ron: An FBI agent who guides Daunis in navigating the case's intricacies.
Heather Nodin: A young girl whose death highlights the devastating impact of the meth problem in the community.
Coach Bobby: The hockey coach with a mysterious past that affects Daunis's investigation.
Quick facts
Firekeeper's Daughter is Angeline Boulley's debut novel, inspired by her hometown, Sault Ste. Marie.
Angeline Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Firekeeper’s Daughter combines a thrilling crime plot with detailed explorations of Ojibwe culture.
Protagonist Daunis Fontaine is biracial, part Ojibwe and part white, navigating complex personal and community identities.
Boulley devoted 10 years to researching and writing the novel, influenced by a real experience with an undercover narcotics officer.
Firekeeper’s Daughter confronts serious societal issues such as drug addiction, racism, sexual assault, and violence against Native women.
The story emphasizes accurate representations of Ojibwe language and cultural practices as well as integrates Ojibwe teachings like the Seven Grandfathers and traditional medicine.
Boulley's writing is praised for challenging stereotypes about Indigenous communities, portraying diverse and dynamic experiences.
Firekeeper's Daughter won prestigious awards including the Michael L. Printz Award for the best literary book written for teens from the American Library Association and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
Firekeeper's Daughter was a #1 New York Times bestseller.
Higher Ground Productions, owned by Barack and Michelle Obama, is adapting the book for Netflix, involving Ojibwe writers Mickey Fisher and Wenonah Wilms.
The sequel, Warrior Girl Unearthed, was published in 2023, focusing on Daunis's niece.
TV adaptation
Netflix and Higher Ground Productions, founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, plan to adapt Firekeeper's Daughter into a series. Angeline Boulley emphasizes the importance of including Indigenous voices in the production to maintain authenticity. Mickey Fisher and Ojibwe writer Wenonah Wilms lead the project, aiming to accurately depict Native experiences. The series seeks to elevate Native storytellers and expand awareness of Indigenous cultures.
Awards
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley debuted as a #1 New York Times Bestseller. The novel earned the 2022 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Young Adult Novel. It also won the prestigious Michael L. Printz Award, the William C. Morris Award, and the Walter Dean Myers Award. TIME magazine included it in its 100 Best YA Books of All Time.
About the author
Angeline Boulley, an Anishinaabe from Sugar Island, Michigan, draws from her Ojibwe heritage in her storytelling. Her debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, reflects her experiences as a biracial Indigenous woman navigating complex cultural identities. She wrote the book to address the lack of characters representing her multifaceted identity and to promote Native representation in works of fiction, including crime thrillers. In addition to her writing, Boulley served as the Director of the Office of Indian Education at the US Department of Education.
