Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Angeline Boulley is passionate about bring the stories of Indigenous women into contemporary literature, starting with her debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, in 2021 and continuing with its sequel, Warrior Girl Unearthed, from 2023. A member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in northern Michigan, Angeline has spent much of her life advocating for Indigenous Americans, including on the national level as the Director for the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Warrior Girl Unearthed deals with death, racism, toxic relationships, kidnapping, grief, car accidents, murder, pregnancy, cultural appropriation, abandonment, references to rape, colonization, and classism. It deals with a lot of serious topics, but it is a young adult book so everything is handled delicately.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch is the complete opposite of her twin Pauline. While Pauline is the tribe's golden girl, Perry is considered a bit of a troublemaker. And this summer, all Perry wants is a laidback, chill summer of fishing - she is already the best on Sugar Island but she can always continue to hone her skills. But instead, she is roped into a summer internship with the kooky museum curator. He teaches Perry about reclaiming their ancestors and funerary objects that have been homed in universities and museums around the world for too long and Perry finds a subject that she can be passionate about. And while the reclamation process can talk a long time, decades even, Perry isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and... expedite the process.

I really enjoyed the first of Angeline Boulley's books, Firekeeper's Daughter, but this novel is even better. It is well written without feeling pretentious and Sugar Island comes to life with Angeline Boulley's words. If you've read the first novel, you will already be familiar with Perry, but this novel takes place a decade later and she has grown into an impetuous but deeply knowledgeable teenager who has consistently been underestimated. I came to love the characters in this book, which includes cameos of several favorites from Firekeeper's Daughter. Warrior Girl Unearthed is an excellent sequel that tackles a different issue that native people from around the world are forced to deal with and does not feel redundant whatsoever of the earlier novel. The plot kept moving and never felt dull or slow and it always kept me interested. I was quite surprised at the very end. And best of all, I learned a lot about the struggles of reclamation.

I'm giving Warrior Girl Unearthed 4.75 stars out of 5. An excellent read for anyone and one that I can wholeheartedly recommend. Shout out to my sister-in-law for recommending Angeline Boulley's books to me!

For more from the author, check out https://angelineboulley.com/

Pairs well with molasses tea cakes and getting involved with your community.

Review of Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - book 1 of Firekeeper's Daughter series