Firekeeper’s Daughter

Daunis graduated from high school and is planning to go away to college. Since her grandmother had a stroke, she and her mother look after her at the assisted living facility. Daunis is the illegitimate daughter of Firekeeper family. Her father died before he could claim her as his daughter. Her half-brother Levi is the high school hockey star.

When the teen death rate from drugs starts to rise, the FBI come to investigate. Daunis learns that her uncle David that recently died was an informant for them. They ask her to take his place especially with the hockey team. She is the perfect choice since she has knowledge of chemistry and the Ojibwe tradition. They want to see if there is a connection between ceremonial herb uses and a new type of lethal drug.

I loved this book. The descriptions of the area along with the ceremonies and use of Native words made me feel I was a part of the world. I could see the dancers in their costumes moving to the music. The story was well paced, the characters were fully developed, and the story was written in the first-person point of view by Daunis. If you enjoy mysteries within a Native American culture, you would definitely like this book.