“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆. 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇. 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕."
𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘇 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗷𝗶𝗯𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗲, 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗸𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘆. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘆. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲. 𝗔𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀, 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝘄𝗲 (𝗢𝗷𝗶𝗯𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻).
This is a stunning debut novel. I had so much appreciation for the cultural history as well as common traditions within the Ojibwe. It was a reminder about how Own Voices authors are critical in telling a story like this. The story is complex as Daunis has her own internal struggle with protecting the people she loves, finding out the truth and how it may or may not harm the community she loves. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil the story but I am so glad I read this book and I highly recommend it.
𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘇 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗷𝗶𝗯𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗲, 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗸𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘆. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘆. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲. 𝗔𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀, 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝘄𝗲 (𝗢𝗷𝗶𝗯𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻).
This is a stunning debut novel. I had so much appreciation for the cultural history as well as common traditions within the Ojibwe. It was a reminder about how Own Voices authors are critical in telling a story like this. The story is complex as Daunis has her own internal struggle with protecting the people she loves, finding out the truth and how it may or may not harm the community she loves. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil the story but I am so glad I read this book and I highly recommend it.