Firekeeper’s Daughter takes place in the small town of Sault Ste. Marie where the Ojibwe community resides. Our protagonist, Daunis Fontaine, is a science-geek, hockey legend, that embodies the Ojibwe spirit. However, as the daughter of a scandal between her Zhaaganaash mother and Anishinaabe father, she never quite fits in. On a fateful fall night, she witnesses an unthinkable murder that forever alters the course of her life and forces her to reckon with her identity and the safety of the community around her. While I don’t typically read Young Adult novels, this one captivated me and provided a deeper insight to the Ojibwe culture. The novel threads thematic motifs of family loyalty, violence against Native women, and the detrimental impact of the over reaching arm of the federal government and tribal authority. While some themes remain surface level from the nature of YA novels, the story still carries a powerful message of cultural strength.