Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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.

 
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Book Setting: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

  1. Sault Ste. Marie

  2. Lake Superior State University

  3. International Bridge

  4. Sugar Island

  5. Big Bear Arena (Chi Mukwa)

  6. Sault Area High School & Career Center

  7. Soo Locks

  8. Sault Ste. Marie, Canada

  9. Tahquamenon Falls (Upper Falls)

  10. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

  11. Marquette

  12. Tahquamenon Falls State Park

  13. Tahquamenon Falls (Lower Falls)

  14. Duck Lake

  15. Landmark Inn

  16. Paradise

  17. Duck Island

  18. Lake George

  19. St. Mary’s Church

  20. Ferry Dock

Reviews

"Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences."

—Publishers Weekly

"A suspenseful tale filled with Ojibwe knowledge, hockey, and the politics of status."

—Kirkus Reviews

“Another YA novel that’s absolutely page-turning required reading for adults...Our heroine is so smart, so thoughtful, and so good.”

—Glamour