Review - Firekeeper's Daughter

Review of Firekeeper's Daughter

by Nicholl Denice Montgomery
May 11, 2021 | Filed in Book Reviews

Recent high school graduate Daunis Firekeeper (known for much of the book by her white mother’s family name, Fontaine) decides to stay in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and attend Lake State with her best friend, Lily. She is then ­devastated when Lily is killed by her meth-addicted boyfriend. Soon after, two undercover agents approach Daunis about taking her late uncle’s place as a confidential informant investigating meth that included “hallucinogenic additives…Psilocybe caerulipes from near Tahquamenon Falls.” Daunis has strong scientific knowledge and a close connection to the Native community, despite being unenrolled (her father, a member of the Sugar Island Ojibwe tribe, is not on her birth certificate). Readers are introduced to the Anishinaabemowin language and, as Daunis calls on traditional knowledge to assist her in the investigation alongside her scientific knowledge, to the customs of the Sugar Island Ojibwe. This is a gripping page-turner, multifaceted, authentic, and suspenseful, that will keep readers wondering who is responsible for the meth that is taking over Daunis’s community — and who exactly she can trust.

From the May/June 2021 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Native American School Scandal

The Native American School Scandal is an ongoing tragedy in the United States and Canada. It is part of the plot in Firekeeper's Daughter. Below are links to two articles that offer a comprehensive overview of the issue. 

Page Turners Meeting Information 

We will host a hybrid in-person/virtual book discussion on Thursday, February 3rd during extra help time. Discussions will take place in the library/knowledge centers of West, East and the FC, and we will also connect our discussions virtually. 

Stop by the school library and pick up your free copy of the book.

Book Trailer -  Firekeeper's Daughter

Obama Company buy rights to Firekeeper's Daughter 

The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is being adapted by the Obama’s Higher Ground Productions company into a Netflix limited series. For all the details about this upcoming TV series, here’s what we know about the Firekeeper’s Daughter Netflix adaptation:

What’s it about? What’s the plot?

The Firekeeper’s Daughter tells the story of a half-white, half-Native 18-year-old girl who gets involved in an undercover police investigation into the drug trade within her community.

Written by Angeline Boulley, The Firekeeper’s Daughter was published in March 2021.

See the Full Review and Summary of The Firekeeper’s Daughter from The Bibliofile.

What format will it be? Will The Firekeeper’s Daughter adaptation be a Movie or a Series?

It’s planned as a limited series, to be available to be streamed on Netflix.

Who’s behind it?

The Obama’s Higher Ground Productions company is working with author Angeline Boulley to develop the series for Netflix.

From Author Angeline Boulley: “I made it very clear to every potential partner that I spoke with that it was as important for me that there’d be native talent not only in front of the camera but behind the camera, in the writer’s room, and at every stage of production. They were just completely on board all the way and already had ideas about that.”

Firekeeper's Daughter Author

Angeline Boulley

Dear Reader,

There simply are too few stories told by and about Indigenous girls and women, especially from a contemporary viewpoint.

We exist and have dynamic experiences to share beyond history books or stories set long ago.

I have been shaped by a network of strong Anishinaabe Kwewag (Native American women), who may be called auntie, friend, cousin, or nokomis. 

My father is a traditional firekeeper, who strikes ceremonial fires at spiritual activities in the tribal community and ensures protocols are followed, while providing cultural teachings through stories told around the fire. He is one of my greatest teachers.

I’m proud of my career in Indian education at the tribal, state, and national levels. Most recently, I was the Director for the Office of Indian Education (OIE) at the U.S. Department of Education. Previously, I was my tribe’s Education Director/Assistant Executive Director and served on the Board of Regents at Bay Mills Community College.

I am beyond fortunate to be a full-time author now. Although I currently live in Southwest Michigan, my home will always be Bahweting (the place of the rapids) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.