The Fiction Spot
A snapshot review of a book related to the Non-fiction Feature
Also in Bulletin #54:
The Non-fiction Feature: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
The Product Spot: National Museum of the American Indian
The Pithy Take
Structurally, Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter is a crime thriller–protagonist 18-year-old Daunis witnesses a terrible murder and is thrust into an FBI drug investigation. Thematically, it is a survey of struggles: between identities, families, cultures, and the groups we form. The story is set in upper Michigan and is steeped in Anishinaabe culture (and hockey culture!).
It grapples honestly with the concept of belonging and how deep that desire cuts, in both the protagonists and antagonists; it is completely absorbing, with well-crafted characters, excellent plot twists, and an ode to the importance of community, no matter what form it may take.
I know what you’re here to do. But these are good people.
Mrs. Edwards started a donation program at my grandmother’s boutique so girls who can’t afford a dress for Shagala or prom can get one. During the last huge snowstorm, trial police organized teams of snowmobilers to check on every Elder and deliver meals. When the ferry gets iced in, the Tribe offers rooms at the hotel for Sugar Island residents who are trapped on the mainland.
I don’t like the way you come into town, turn on a light, and expect to see cockroaches scurrying everywhere.
Firekeeper’s Daughter
Author: Angeline Boulley
Publisher: Square Fish
512 pages | 2023
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