Firekeeper’s Daughter Book Review

The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Published by Henry Holt and Company on March 16, 2031
Pages: 488
Goodreads

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team.
After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?

I went into Firekeeper’s Daughter completely blind, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but it wasn’t this. It was completely my own fault but with the cover I was expecting something fantastical with a mythological element to it. There was nothing mythological about this story or characters and it didn’t need it. This was a

Characters in Firekeeper’s Daughter

Daunis is the main character in Firekeeper’s Daughter and after suffering a major tragedy she become embroiled in an FBI investigation. I think that as a main character she was okay, I did find her annoying at times especially when it came down to making hard decisions and the people around her. Personally, I think the romance in this book ruined her for me. If the focus had been kept on the issues surrounding her and the role she was playing it would have read as a better book and I would have connected with her more as a character.

I did however love how rich the characters were and the depth of not only their personal stories but of the ones of community. There was something special all the way through this book, watching people come together and fight against an unknown enemy. It was heartbreaking to read about the loss this community had endured and without any outside help. It was a really eye-opening read on all accounts, and one I am not likely to forget.

Bad Bits

The one thing that really impacted my reading enjoyment of Firekeeper’s Daughter was definitely the pacing. I feel as though I was stuck in a loop, especially at the beginning, nothing seemed to happen for a really long time and even when things did start to move forward there wasn’t any real urgency. It was a frustrating read and especially in the beginning I wasn’t sure I was going to get to the end. The thing is once you get through all the exposition the story was interesting and well written I just wish the beginning had felt like that as well.

Good Bits in Firekeeper’s Daughter

I really was ignorant going into this book, with really no idea of what to expect but I learnt so much. The one thing I came away from this book with was a new understanding of what the tribes are and their culture. Firekeeper’s Daughter was a fantastic look at the culture and some of the issues they are currently struggling with. I love it when I come out of a book knowing more than I did going in, especially if it doesn’t read as a textbook.

What next?

Although the pacing of this book didn’t win me over I definitely want to read more from Angeline Boulley and other native voices. I feel like there is so much to learn and I have barely scraped the surface.

If you have any recommendations for me I would be grateful to hear them. I already have Rebecca Roanhorse on my list so any others would be fantastic!