Firekeeper's Daughter

By: Angeline Boulley

Narrated by: Isabella Star LaBlanc

Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi's hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. 

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions - and deaths - keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she's ever known.  

©2021 Angeline Boulley (P)2021 W F Howes

Critic reviews

“What do you get when you combine Tommy Orange, Angie Thomas and Tomi Adeyemi? This genre-bending new YA thriller.” (Entertainment Weekly) 

"Firekeeper's Daughter is a gripping and unforgettable story of family, community and identity told through the eyes of a protagonist so powerfully realised on the page, you'll swear you can hear her heart beat. Daunis Fontaine is a force to be reckoned with - and so is Angeline Boulley. This is one bold, uncompromising and elegantly crafted debut." (Courtney Summers, New York Times best-selling author of Sadie)

"A rare and mesmerising work that blends the power of a vibrant tradition with the aches and energy of today's America. This book will leave you breathless!" (Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World)

"Raw and moving, the intricacies of family loyalty and who comes first are deftly and sensitively explored. Firekeeper's Daughter sensitively touches on crimes and lack of accountability against indigenous women in the Native American community and identity. Boulley has crafted a nuanced and refreshing protagonist." (Cosmopolitan)

Great book....but I wanted more.

A crime thriller with a strong thread of Native American lore (Ojibwe). I loved this book, loved the characters, loved everything about it except the ending. It just felt a little unsatisfying....like the story wasn't finished. I understand why it was that way, but I still wish for more.

A wonder

Absolutely wonderful, rich and tender. Kept me guessing the whole way through.
I adored learned about the native ways and customs.

Enthralling read

The book starts quite slowly, but I was soon hooked and couldn’t stop listening. It’s heart wrenching, exciting and hopeful. Hugely recommend to older teens / young adults. Also an interesting insight into tribal life in the US.

Excellent listen!

I loved this book. It is a mix of story telling, education around culture and bringing awareness to the difficulties indigenous peoples face in the modern world. I hope you read this book. Cudos to the writer and narrator. Wonderfully written and beautifully told!

A pleasure to listen to

I loved the narration on this book. It was so interesting hearing about the traditional native culture. The story itself was probably written for young adults but I (an older person!) still enjoyed it a lot.

Beautifully written

Such a treat to listen to this audio book. Beautifully written story sympathetically told, didn’t want it to end. Totally enthralled but the descriptions of American Indian traditions.

I wanted to like this more than I did

A bit disappointed with this book at the end. It was a long read, there were interesting elements but the plot was quite predictable fairly early on and it felt as if it took a long time to get there. Overall, I am neutral about the book and I would not recommend it or discourage anyone from reading it as they might gain more from it. I wouldn’t actively look for a book from the same author although as would look for books set in the same geographic area as I found that interesting. I think the book could be about a third shorter and still accommodate the plot more efficiently.

Lovely book

Easy to listen to. Good storyline if somewhat predictable. I have bought in paperback as a Christmas gift

A Book that sticks with you long after you have finished it.

A coming of womanhood tale like no other.
The reader is taken into a world that is rarely glimpsed by outsiders.

Powerful

Forgive the pun, but this was a slow burn. Once the story got going though I was so absorbed and didn't want to stop listening. The narration is fabulous and really helped bring the story alive. So many strong women in this book, to be admired. It is so interesting to learn more about the culture, but also devastating the way people treat people. I wish this was just fiction and a good story, but the truth in it hurts and isn't hard to believe sadly. A powerful book. Would recommend.

Clunky audio editing

I really enjoyed this story but the editing and audio is really messy! It’s such a shame because overall the narrators performance is fairly good. I wish she’d do less ‘voices’ but beyond perhaps that’s a preference I can’t hold against her. The audio definitely helped with the words in Anishaabemowin and gave me a more rounded understanding of the whole story and world.