Firekeeper's Daughter was published in March 2021 by Henry Holt and Co. It was written by Native American author and activist Angeline Boulley, who has spent most of her life devoted to improving the lives and education of Native American people. Firekeeper's Daughter is Boulley's first published work and was published when she was in her mid-50s. Boulley's novel tells the story of a teenager named Daunis Fontaine, who is half Native American and half white. One day, Daunis witnesses her friend's murder and becomes involved with the FBI, a law enforcement organization for whom she becomes a confidential informant to help stamp out a new drug in her community.
Firekeeper's Daughter draws on Boulley's own life experiences. As a member of Ojibwe (or Chippewa) tribe, Boulley was born and raised on the Bahweting reservation in Michigan. In fact, in an interview with the New York Times, Boulley mentioned that her "father is a traditional firekeeper, who strikes ceremonial fires at spiritual activities in the tribal community and ensures protocols are followed while providing cultural teachings through stories told around the fire," making Boulley a real-life firekeeper's daughter.
Boulley's novel received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it was published. In their glowing review of the story, for instance, NPR wrote that Firekeeper's Daughter is "A contemplative exploration of existing between two cultural identities meets fake relationship romance meets backwoods thriller in this absolute powerhouse of a debut from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley." It was also a tremendous financial success, earning a place on the New York Times bestseller list. In fact, Firekeeper's Daughter will be adapted into a miniseries of the same name by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground, for the streaming service Netflix.
