Author Angeline Boulley got the idea for her first book, Firekeeper’s Daughter, during her senior year in high school. It took more than three decades to get the book written and published, and it became a young adult sensation. The 2021 novel was a New York Times bestseller and a Time best books of 2021 selection, earned the Edgar Allan Poe award for best YA book, and received the Michael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association. It was clearly worth the wait.
Boulley didn’t have the luxury of time for her second novel, released just two years later. Warrior Girl Unearthed is a sequel of sorts to Daughter, which told the story of a teenage girl from an Ojibwe reservation who gets caught up in a federal murder and drug investigation. Warrior takes place a decade after those events and examines the rise in missing Indigenous young women that hits teen Perry Firekeeper-Birch too close to home.
Warrior debuted to similar commercial and critical success, hitting the bestseller list again and getting best of the year nods from Publisher’s Lunch, Amazon and Bookpage. A newly released paperback edition coming in May, and being revealed exclusively here for this Native American Heritage Month, features a breathtaking new cover by Emily Kewageshig.
Boulley spoke to Forbes.com about her inspiration for writing thrillers, how to follow up a five-star debut, and why she writes
Firekeeper’s Daughter was a huge success. Can you talk about the path to publication for that book, and how it differed from your second, Warrior Girl Unearthed?
Boulley: The path to publication was long and meandering — 10 years in the making from when I began writing Firekeeper’s Daughter (36-years total from the time I first had the idea for the story as a high school senior) to when it sold at auction. The path for Warrior Girl Unearthed felt like a sprint. I had one year to write my follow up, while still promoting my debut novel.
Did you ever envision writing a second book set in the same community? If not, how did you come up with the idea? If so, was this your first idea, or did you play with others?
Boulley: When I signed with my literary agent, Faye Bender, she asked what other stories I had. I had nothing. But during a long walk on a Sunday afternoon, a character’s voice popped into my head with, “I stole everything they think I did … and even some stuff they don’t know about yet.”
I ran into the nearest business (Cheesetique in Del Ray, Alexandria Virginia), went up to the bartender and asked for a pen, paper and a chardonnay. I spent the next few hours writing everything this teen character was telling me. That’s when Warrior Girl Unearthed came to me — Indigenous “Lara Croft,” a teen who raids museums to retrieve stolen ancestors. It was before the auction for Firekeeper’s Daughter, so I was able to include the 6-year-old twins in that manuscript knowing one of them (the feisty one) would narrate the second novel set 10 years later.
Books present a wonderful way for people to learn about experiences different from their own. It can also put a lot of pressure on authors representing their communities, even though, of course, no experience is a monolith. Do you feel any of that pressure, and if so, how do you deal with it?
Boulley: I felt a self-imposed pressure. When you’re from an underrepresented community and you get this incredible opportunity (along with a significant book advance), it’s like getting one chance at bat, and you had better get on base because we don’t get multiple swings. I feared that if my book didn’t do well, it might harm other Indigenous writers from getting their turn at bat.
Fortunately, I hit a “grand slam” with Firekeeper’s Daughter and showed that a specific story set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula could resonate widely and be both a literary and commercial success. There is a market for our Indigenous stories.
What do you hope people walk away from your books understanding about the Ojibwe community that they did not before reading?
Boulley: First, that we Ojibwe people still exist and are living vibrant lives. Second, that every Native community is unique, and there is much diversity between and within communities. Third, that the jurisdictional quagmire on reservations results in perpetrators committing violent crimes with impunity. The lack of consequences turns perpetrators into predators. Our people, especially women and girls, become prey.
What appeals to you about writing thrillers?
Boulley: Mysteries are riddles to be solved. Add escalating danger and a ticking clock, and you’ve got a thriller. I love the “cat and mouse” relationship of author to reader. My goal is to tantalize and trick, until I finally swoop in with the twist you (hopefully) never saw coming.
The book focuses on missing Indigenous women, and it’s unfortunately well documented how often nothing is done about such disappearances. What kind of research did you do for this book?
Boulley: I had excellent sources — including a retired FBI agent who is Native, a former federal prosecutor, tribal judges, tribal law enforcement officers, many who work with victims of crime, and those who advocate for legislation and increased resources.
Since Firekeeper’s Daughter was published, the amendment to the Violence Against Women Act that recognizes tribal jurisdiction to prosecute non-Native spouses and partners who commit crimes on reservations became law; however, it doesn’t extend to perpetrators of violence who are not in a domestic relationship with their victim. It’s still open season for those predators.
Your last book received so many accolades, and the second has earned similar praise. Is there any recognition that has meant the most to you over the past few years?
Boulley: When a teacher says that a reluctant reader raced through my book and was eager to discuss it in class.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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