With her new YA thriller, Warrior Girl Unearthed, award winning and bestselling author Angeline Boulley takes readers back to the world of Firekeeper's Daughter, her acclaimed debut YA novel.
PW sat down with Boulley to chat about Warrior Girl Unearthed, returning to the world of Sugar Island, the Netflix adaptation of Firekeeper's Daughter, and a whole lot more.
Firekeeper’s Daughter offers a rich focus on Ojibwe culture paired with a tense thriller storyline. What can readers expect from Warrior Girl Unearthed?
Readers can expect a layered mystery, exciting heists, more Sugar Island, and a feisty protagonist!
How much do you draw from your own background within the Ojibwe community as you write?
I draw a lot from my experiences. I spent time most summers with my grandparents and cousins on Sugar Island. As an adult, I've lived and worked in three different Native American communities. I'm grateful to have such rich experiences to shape the stories I want to share.
I imagine it must be very difficult to write about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. What can you share about that experience?
It is difficult, yet it's vital to give voice to those who cannot tell their stories themselves. Through storytelling I can share the person instead of the statistic. Each missing person is someone who matters.
What can you share about protagonist Perry?
Perry Firekeeper-Birch—a chill, laid-back teen whose summer plans change when she wrecks the Jeep she shares with her twin sister and must accept the last spot in her Tribe's paid internship program. As she begins her summer job in the tribal museum, Perry learns that a local college museum is refusing to return ancestral remains and sacred items that had been stolen from Sugar Island. Outraged, Perry is determined to get the ancestors back. She is someone who acts first and thinks about the consequences down the road.
Will readers recognize any characters they first encountered in Firekeeper’s Daughter?
Yes! There are familiar faces. Granny June fans will be pleased.
Cover art can be a reader’s first impression of a book. Can you talk about what Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade’s cover art illustration brings to the story?
Michaela Goade uses vivid colors and layered images to convey the story. I find more to love each time I gaze at the beautiful cover! My favorite detail is the way Michaela used Perry's hair tumbling over her shoulder to become a river with fish. To Perry, fishing is life.
Between Daunis from Firekeeper’s Daughter and Perry from Warrior Girl Unearthed, which character do you feel the strongest connection to personally?
I am much more like Daunis—we overthink everything. Perry was refreshing to write because she says exactly what's on her mind. She is brave, funny, and clever.
Can you tell us anything about the Netflix adaptation of Firekeeper’s Daughter?
The showrunner and head writer are working on the script for the pilot. Then they'll assemble a writers room to work on the rest of the scripts for the first season. I cannot wait to hear about casting choices and filming locations. I'm ready to watch it now, but these things take a lot longer than I thought.
