Go ahead, this is one book you can judge by it's cover. The Firekeeper's Daughter is stunning both inside and out.
 So much positive has been said about this amazing Own Voices debut from Angeline Boulley and it's all well-deserved. It's rare when a novel's characters pull me into a story so early on.
 By genre, The Firekeeper's Daughter is a mystery. There's a meth crisis in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and the nearby reservation in the early 2000s, and someone wants to know who is producing and distributing.
 But in reality it's so much more. It's a character-driven drama, a portrait of a community both united and tainted; of love and loss. It's one of family and Ojibwe culture, traditions and spirituality.
 This is one of those special books that envelops you in the experience, the writing itself almost bigger than the tale it needs to tell. 
 Go in blind, and enjoy. Even five months into the year, I know this is a standout read for 2021. Absolutely recommended.