Likes:
*What drew me to this book was the cover first, the description second because I love that it was a young adult story about a native teen. I haven’t read many books about Native Americans in all the decades I’ve been reading and it’s about time, or more like overdue. We need more books like these.
*I’m not a big fan of mysteries and didn’t realize this story was a mystery at first. But I was sucked into Daunis’ history, and her story of owning her identity. We learn Ojibwe tribe history, customs and current issues natives go through in their communities. We get to see them experience discrimination, racism, drugs, the role of the elderly, and just how their communities are so tight. I learned about the casinos on reservations and how enrolled tribal members earn per cap and how someone can even be enrolled as a member ~ I learned so much from this story.
*Daunis’ life is complicated but she navigates her life using her tribe teachings and it really centers her when things get rough. And things get dark and sinister in this story which I didn’t expect. Another thing about Daunis which I adored was her intellect and scientific mind. Her western science knowledge and tribe healing practices collide in this story to help her with the investigation and I thought that was really cool to see.
*I love all the family aspects in this book, as complicated and as hurtful as they are, Daunis stays very strong in the face of criticism and hate. I also loved so much how this story features the elderly community because they really should be honored and taken care of. It reminds me of how in my filipino culture the elderly are taken care of by family members, young and old, and I loved that. It made me realize how fortunate I was to be able to grow up with one set of grandparents and help take care of them before they passed. Daunis reveres the elders in her family and community and it is beautiful.
*I thought the ending was beautiful and bittersweet. ❤️ Daunis is the best of her community, she embodies all the complications that natives and half natives live and feel day in and out. And no matter what challenges come, she deals with them with intellect, grace, strength, bravery, respect and knowledge from her Anishinaabe kwe upbringing.
Random Notes:
Triggers: drug use, suicide, homicide, sexual assault, rape, kidnapping
*Everything about this story is complicated including Daunis’ love life which is a fake relationship with blurred lines. I think it ended realistically since in reality she didn’t even know Jamie’s real name ~ I LOVE how Daunis was so mature enough to know that both of them needed time to grow a but before maybe pursuing something. And I adore the dream prophecy about her future as well.
*This story is full of trauma. There are family scandals, tribal scandals, drug use/abuse, suicide murder, sexual assault, the history of native kids being taken to boarding schools without their parents consent, stories of women being abused, so much grief and trying to just heal from the injustices native people have endured for so, so long.
*There is mention about Hawaii (a James Michener book I read in high school), and then UH Hawaii at Manoa and I loved seeing our state college get mentioned!
Final Thoughts:
Everything about Daunis’ story in the Firekeeper’s Daughter drew me in and I cared about her and her family, no matter how complicated it was because the love is real. I love that we get to experience life through Daunis, a half white/half native young adult who wants the best for all the people she loves and the best for her community. I learned a lot about native life, some of the cultural aspects like pow wows and tribal council votes, casinos and per cap payouts. But underneath all that information you feel the struggle native americans feel to try and exist on the land their people had stolen from them with violence and oppression. I hope we get more native stories in books, tv and movies because their stories are important and need to be told. This is an honest and powerful story that is multi-layered, and must be read.
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Very Enlightening, Must Read for Everyone!
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2021
This book was absolutely amazing! I originally read the first few chapters on Bookishfirst and knew immediately I wanted a copy of this book!First off, the book is about Indians (Native Americans) and is written by a Native American author. I have always loved learning more about this culture, especially because my ancestry includes quite a percentage (unfortunately I'm just one generation shy of the cutoff to officially be "labeled" as Native American). It's always been such a beautiful part of who I am though. Unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to really dive in and learn more about the culture.This book does such an amazing job of helping you to see exactly what goes on for those who are still in touch with their ancestry. You get to see a little of the language (at least for this specific tribe) and some of the traditions they uphold and why.More importantly, though, I think what's even more of a reason to pick it up, is it goes over some serious problems in America today. There is a serious drug problem today that is being overlooked by many officials. I have personally seen in running rampant in some of the towns I have lived in. I've seen its effects on former friends and family members. It's something more people need to bring awareness to!Also, we still have a serious problem with people looking down on Native Americans. I still remember one of the most ignorant things I have ever read. Someone was talking about racism specifically towards African Americans and another person piped up saying it was also an issue towards Native Americans. The original person responded with "at least they have their reservations." I don't know a ton about the reservations our leaders decided to "give them," but I do know that Native Americans deserve a lot more respect (and land) considering they were the original people who lived here.The writing in this story is also extremely well done. There were parts of the story that felt a little too "easy," however, the author did fix my feelings on those parts with the way she ended the book. I definitely think EVERYBODY should read this book. It's very eye-opening and will help give more of an authentic understanding of such a beautiful culture.As far as genre, definitely what I'd consider contemporary. There was some cursing, but I don't recall a ton (Although I was so enthralled I may have simply jumped over it). There is some kissing and hinting at other stuff, but no actual scenes. I will warn, there are some dark things in this book. Drugs, death, rape (again just hints at it, doesn't actually have a descriptive scene), and other things mentioned in passing.In summary, GO PICK IT UP AND READ!! 😁😁😁
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2021
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Kristel Greer
Suspenseful and emotional to the end
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 7, 2022
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 7, 2022
The local hockey is backed by wealthy boosters but not everything is above board. As Daunis looks closer she sees that there is a darker and more sinister power controlling things behind the scenes. As Daunis follows the orders of the FBI agents she is assigned to, she also decides to investigate things in her way. Utilising her skills in traditional tribal medicine and the chemistry knowledge she was thought by her uncle who died in tragic circumstances, she begins to uncover the origins of the drugs and the connection to the reservation.
Will Daunis protect her community from these deadly threats and will she prove to everyone that she is a true strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) though she might save her people but destroy herself in the process. Will her growing closeness to one of the FBI agents hamper the operation and end with them both being killed?
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. A tense, thrilling and tough read. So many topics and issues were explored which made it a deep and fascinating narrative to read. Daunis was a strong, independent young woman and I was impressed with how she dealt with all the hardships in her life and still strove to make life better for others. I found the Native American aspects of the story compelling and they offered a different side to that community that I hadn’t read before. Suspenseful and emotional to the end. I highly recommend this story.
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