The Firekeeper's Daughter

Boulley, Angeline. 2021. FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER.  New York: Henry Holt And Company. ISBN 9781250766571

Plot Summary:

Daunis Fontaine is a recent high school graduate who lives on the Ojibwa reservation.  She is smart, pretty, and strong-willed. She grew up with her mother, grandmother, and uncle caring for her. Because her grandparents did not approve of Daunis' parents being together; they sent her mother away when she found out that she was pregnant. When Daunis was three months old, her mother returns to the reservation to learn that her former boyfriend had gotten married and had a son. Her best friend Lily is the opposite of Daunis: she's small, dark-skinned, and is somewhat of a rebel. She is ready to better herself by attending college but soon Daunis has to put her plans on hold. After experiencing a string of family tragedies: her uncle dies from an overdose, her grandmother suffers a stroke, and she has to take care of her sick mother. Soon Daunis falls for a boy on her brother's hockey team. But just as it seems that life is good and Daunis adjusts to caring for her mother, tragedy strikes again and she finds herself wrestling with doing what is right by her community but trying to avoid betraying the same community because of the choice she makes to protect those she loves.

Critical Analysis:

The debut novel of Angeline Boulley is a good read. I listened to the unabridged version on Audible. It is read by Isabella Star LaBlanc, she is a Native actress (Dakota tribe) who has done live theater.  I was expecting a dry, flat voice reading the story but surprisingly, Ms. LaBlanc read Firekeeper's Daughter with liveliness. She sounded very much like a teenager: witty, serious at moments where it is warranted and she uses tone inflection at the right moments. The story is introduced with the customary title details. Listening to the story, I was able to imagine what Daunis was experiencing as she went about living her life and doing things that young adults do. Ms. Boulley writes about Natives or Indigenous people with details that are real and tell a story that is centered around the 21st century.  Touching on the themes of family, loyalty to one's community, death and grief, remaining true to one's self, and making right choices are woven throughout Daunis' story. She also captures the teenage experience very well; writing with care how even Indigenous youth go through similar life experiences as other teenagers. Ms. Boulley also does an excellent job of talking about how people of the Ojibwe Tribe live: how they speak, interact and engage with one another. Overall, I enjoyed listening to Firekeeper's Daughter; it is well-written.

Review Excerpt(s):

Kirkus Review-"Daunis is a three-dimensional, realistically imperfect girl trying her best to handle everything happening around her. The first-person narration reveals her internal monologue, allowing readers to learn what’s going on in her head as she encounters anti-Indian bias and deals with grief."

Connections: 

Introduce students to the Ojibwa Tribe and other tribes that are a part of this family unit through pictures and historical accounts virtually: https://americanindian.si.edu. This is the National Museum of American Indian, located in Washington, D.C.

Display a large map of the North America and point out where the Ojibwa tribe originated and where they currently live.