The Firekeeper's Daughter

by Karola Renard

From the vastness of Stone Age Siberia to a minefield in today's Angola, from the black beaches of Iceland to the African savannah and a Jewish-German cemetery, Karola Renard tells thirteen mythic stories of initiation featuring twenty-first-century kelpies, sirens, and holy fools, a river of tears and a girl who dances on fire, a maiden shaman of ice, a witch in a secret garden, Queen Guinevere's magic mirror, and a woman who swallows the moon. The red thread running through them all is a deep faith in life and the need to find truth and meaning even in the greatest of ordeals.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Thriller, Audiobook, Book Club, Mystery

172 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't notice that this was a YA book until I was about half the way through it. I give the author Karola Renard four stars for tackling such a difficult subject in such depth and for creating such rich characters. She certainly kept us guessing up until the end while teaching many of us much about Ojibway philosophy and customs.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book so bad! It has a lot of fans in the YA community, but it just wasn't for me. Renard is clearly a talented writer but the story just didn't draw me in. The slow start also made it difficult for me to get interested in the plot.

[Christina]

Very well-plotted. Quite heavy at points. Listened to on audio.

[Kimberly Kalmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it. Very interesting way to learn more about Native American culture. The story was very engaging. I might have edited it a bit but it was still a greAt story

[Mariah]

I think most of these reviews are actually talking about a different book- “Firekeepers Daughter” by Angeline Boulley.

[Samantha Falco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought everything about this book was beautiful. Great, easy read. Couldn’t put it down

[Patti Wlliams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best YA I’ve read in a long time.

[Jamie Morehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story; and I learned many things about the American Indian culture. The only thing I would change was the ending regarding Daune's relationship with Jamie.

[Nicole Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly quite intense! rapid read but wow crazy dreams for that week I was reading.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firekeeper's Daughter is a suspenseful mystery made more important to be read by a young adult audience for its indigenous main character and its realistic depiction of oppression, bigotry, and violence – mainly toward women. I very much appreciated being witness to Daunis Fontaine's world. Half-Ojibwe, half-French, her identity has always been fraught (Firekeeper is her father's name, Fontaine her mother's). Now a high school senior, her future as a Univ. of Michigan student is delayed when she must stay home after a death in her family. And that leads to the complex situation she puts herself into after witnessing terrifying violence and realizing the endemic nature of the local drug community which has apparently developed a hallucinatory form of meth.

I almost can't stand to read about a character who goes undercover or to watch characters on the screen adopt secret identities: I'm made extra-tense by the fear that their deception will be revealed. Ironic, perhaps, but what Daunis attempts to unmask is the deception all around her – in her community, in the FBI, and police force. Whom does she trust? How can she keep safe?

Daunis is an intelligent, strong-willed, athletic individual, thank goodness. Author Angeline Boulley, former high school athlete, is a member of the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and a former director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. The deep, special, spiritual aspects of the Ojibwe philosophy and traditions permeate the novel and have played a large part in the woman Daunis has become.
Suspenseful, terrifying, violent – this is nevertheless an appropriate book for young adults because the strong character of Daunis is always there. There should be more YA novels written by indigenous people about their ways of life than exist today. Boulley said that the first time she read about someone like herself was her senior year in high school. Let's hope those narratives are available much earlier now and in the future.
I received this book from Henry Holt and Company via BookSirens. This is an honest review.

[Dawn Kovacovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are far too few books written for and about Native American people. The authenticity of the language, setting, use of slang, culture, current issues, complicated relationships and boundaries, etc . . . all rang refreshingly true with this story. I taught Elementary School in a predominately Anishinabe public school district in Northern MN for many years and could hear many of my students' voices in the main character's interactions with others. While hockey was a source of community pride to this community, basketball was the pride of our school district. The whole mystery and romance plot that wove throughout this book was not nearly as intriguing (or believable) as the relationships between the main characters though.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When drugs run through the Native American tribe in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, everyone is touched, both on the reservation and with their neighbors. When the FBI and Indian Affairs irresponsibly recruit a young adult who has roots in both cultures her life becomes endangered. She is torn between wanting to stay safe and uninformed and helping her community rid itself of this monster. What she learns changes the way she looks at herself, those around her, and what she thought of as reality.

[Kyla Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio. 3.5 stars. While I enjoyed this book, I felt like it could have been much better if it only tried to do a little less. The plot was engaging and the main characters and the setting provided a backdrop for me that was educational as well. Plus, I love a strong female protagonist! The book was part coming-of-age, part crime, part love story, part finding one's place in a tribal community. There were numerous characters that were hard to keep straight as the plot became more entwined. I'd still recommend this read, however, as YMMV.

[Leah Mckenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hard to get into. Enjoyed the story but at times almost seem like a PSA/felt like the story would pause and look at the audience to throw an ad in to bring light to the issue, it was just weird hard to find explain, just not worked into the story well.

I appreciated the main character, but a lot of her story was rushed and I am not sure they explained what happened to her dad which was important to the story.

[Sam L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I don’t know why but I felt like this book lost momentum, even when the narrative was racing forward. I did appreciate all the cultural elements and traditional stories - I just felt like some seemed out of place (like the telling of how man and woman chose their gifts and man chose peeing standing up)

I am glad Daunis and Jamie didn’t end up together. We need more stories where the love interest is let go

[Lydia Al-Obaydi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a great storyteller and the education on Native American way of life was eye opening. However, the storyline felt a bit like a Home & Away Episode at times - too many things go wrong and it got in the way of me enjoying it fully. The characters were a little too 'special' which made the story feel somewhat childish at times. Overall a good book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize at first this was a YA book but once I did, I realized it is definitely geared to that audience. An interesting blend of mystery, Native American customs and traditions, and modern life for high school and college age kids. Intriguing story of family, betrayal, loyalty and coming of age.

[Heather Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. What an insightful read that pulls back the curtains of life as a young adult on an Indian reservation. Showing the cultural ins and outs and nuances that we only read about, I enjoyed this story from cover to cover. Yes, all nearly 500 pages.

Part drama, part mystery and part pop culture, the characters are alive and full of zest. I most enjoyed learning about Native American culture.

[Gracie McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book that immerses you into the culture of Native American tribal communities! A mystery that keeps you on your toes! Gives you a new perspective into how it feels to not belong to any culture with a society. I didn’t like the amount of SA mentioned in this book but I did realize that the author was trying to give a voice to issues present in Native American communities!

[Sheryl Elgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed language/ tradition and the emphasis on the importance of language, but at some points it was fairly slow moving. I like that ceremony was implemented and the importance of elders. The recognition of the impact of money and a very real drug pandemic that truly impacts Indigenous communities irl as well as honoring our murdered and missing daughters. Some very important messages.

[Leah Gallant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one; a young adult book but could easily suck in any adult into this well weaved story. A bit of a crash course in Canadian/northern US Indigenous history, which I very much appreciated. Also a peek into our country’s struggle with meth and how sees easily - and blindly so - into our communities. Particularly the vulnerability of our Indigenous tribes and communities.

[Norrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wss a great read. There was a web of overlapping stories that i found engaging. I loved Daunis, the narriator who is a teenager trying to figure out life. There was a learning opportunoty of the Ojibwe culture and incorporating that history today. Daunis was very intutive and wise for her age, as she came of age.

[Rachael Drenckpohl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a glimpse into the struggles of indigenous women, but the writing sometimes becomes more of an exposition than storytelling. The story is also a bit far-fetched at times, but it is still a good story to give much-needed attention to all of the missing and murdered Indigenous women!

[Becky Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so wonderful. It was such a beautiful insight into native American culture and the story was compelling and heartfelt. I also found the pacing to be particularly spot on and it kept me engrossed throughout.

[Sally Trabulsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and educational YA novel set in Sault Ste Marie. A lot of info about Indian culture and interactions between tribal and federal forces amid a mystery. I liked it once I quit stopping to try to figure out how to pronounce all the Indian words.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that is defined by the strong lead female character, she looks into her Ojibwe culture for strength and a sense of belonging. A coming of age novel all about knowing the difficulties we must face and facing them with bravery and dignity.

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - what an incredible book!
It starts off so interesting and really sucks you in.
Daunis is such a fantastic character. Watching her navigate and balance the life of her two worlds is interesting, complex, and moving all at once.
This book is such a rollercoaster, with some ups, and some very intense downs. A coming a age, turns mystery.
Though I will admit that part two slowed down a bit, I swear I blinked and the last 150 pages were done!

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 55%. We’ll
Written and intriguing but I jut couldn’t get into it

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio 4- Found out afterwards that this is an intended YA book, perhaps why I'm giving it a 4-.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected, but 100% a page turner