Genre: Mystery, Suspense Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Clearly, I caved into the hype about Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, and for once I was not disappointed! I’m not going to lie, 90% of the reason I picked up this book was because of the cover and because I wrongfully thought it was a fantasy novel. However, I’m really pleased that I ended up reading it because it certainly lived up to the hype in my opinion.
The novel follows Daunis, a young Native American woman, who is tasked with protecting her community from meth. She sees people who have become victims of addiction and violence, and feels an urgent need to do something. So, when she discovers that her uncle’s death was not what it appeared to be, she works with the FBI to help them discover who is running a meth operation in her community, and in other Native communities near her.
The one aspect of this novel that truly made it stand out is the way in which Boulley incorporated Native American culture into the story. In her author’s note, Boulley says that we need more books by Native Americans, and more books about them, and I couldn’t agree more! This novel was a genuine window into Native American life, and raised issues that many Native American women face.
The mystery in the novel was also very compelling. Especially when the author started revealing parts of the mystery. However, Daunis’s love for her community is what made the book interesting. It is clear from the start of the novel that Daunis cares about people in her community, particularly the women, who are often victimized. Throughout the novel that dedication and compassion only grows stronger, and as a reader, I felt moved by everything Daunis went through, to her actions to make her community safer, to her feelings about her family.
As a reader, I feel as though we come across many books that are written with sincerity, but rarely does that genuineness shine as brightly as it does in Firekeeper’s Daughter!
The Biased Bibliophile 