Warrior Girl Unearthed

Black and Anishinaabe high schooler Perry Firekeeper-Birch tackles issues surrounding U.S. repatriation laws as well as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in this page-turning companion taking place 10 years after Firekeeper’s Daughter by Anishinaabe author Boulley. After dropping off her twin sister Pauline at the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s summer internship program, where she will be working with the Tribal Council, Perry is ready to begin her summer of slacking off and fishing with Pops. But when her aunt foots the bill for car repairs, Perry is forced to get a job at the program to pay her back. She’s working at the tribal museum when she discovers that a local university has been taking advantage of legal loopholes to hold on to remains of deceased Anishinaabe peoples. Determined to return them to their rightful homes, Perry devises a ploy with the other interns, uncovering a deadly mystery involving missing Indigenous women along the way. Conversations surrounding colorism contribute to the characters’ authentic renderings, and Perry’s snarky first-person narration propels this intelligent heist narrative, culminating in a thrilling and empowering read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (May)