Sisters in the Wind
By Angeline Boulley
Henry Holt and Company | 384 pp | $19.99
ISBN: 9781420529593
Book Review, Sisters in the Wind, Angeline Boulley’s third novel, is a page-turning thriller steeped in suspense, cultural truth, and one young foster teen determined to uncover her identity—and claim it on her own terms.
Her first book “Firekeeper’s Daughter” was on the New York Times Bestseller List for a total of 30 weeks. It was named one of the top 100 adult novels of all time by Time magazine and won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel in 2022 and several other awards.
In Sister in the Wind, Boulley, a tribal citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, demonstrates a high command of her Ojibwe culture and history as she allows 18-year-old protagonist Lucy Smith to embark on a journey of personal discovery.
Lucy’s life has been shaped by absence, trauma, and disconnection. Raised by a white father who said little about her birth mother—and later abandoned to the foster system after his death—she has grown up not in anticipation of belonging but in fear. When Lucy discovers she is Ojibwe, and that she may still have family, her emotional defenses begin to unravel.
But Lucy’s mistrust runs deep. It’s only after a diner bombing—one that leaves her physically injured—that the truth of her past becomes unavoidable, forcing her into relationships and revelations she never expected or allowed herself to hope for.
What Boulley accomplishes here is extraordinary. The narrative moves between two timelines: Lucy’s past in the foster system and her present entangled in danger, surveillance, and hidden truths. This structure elevates Sisters in the Wind beyond the typical YA thriller—it reflects the fragmented reality of a young person whose history has been buried, distorted, and weaponized.
The pacing is unrelenting yet thoughtful, constantly shifting—never allowing the reader, or Lucy, to settle.
Anchored by Familiar Voices and Cultural Depth
And yet, there is tenderness. Boulley reintroduces familiar characters—Jamie and Daunis—from Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed. Their inclusion is not simply nostalgic but deeply purposeful. They serve as touchstones of community and belonging. Their belief in Lucy becomes a mirror she isn’t ready for—but ultimately cannot ignore.
The novel shines brightest in its cultural specificity. The Ojibwe language, ancestral knowledge, and the lasting trauma tied to the Indian Child Welfare Act are not simply referenced—they are foundational. Moat Native Americans will relate to the overview Boulley provides of the foster care system.
Lucy’s longing for identity and roots, as well as the institutional failures that shaped her upbringing, are rendered with brutal clarity and emotional depth.
More Than a Story: A Testimony
What makes Sisters in the Wind essential is its refusal to flatten trauma or sentimentalize survival. Lucy’s resilience is jagged, raw, and true. Her journey isn’t just about finding answers—it’s about reclaiming what was taken. Boulley isn’t simply telling a story—she’s bearing witness.
Editor's Note: Tune in Friday, Sept 5, 2025 at 12 noon - ET to "Native Bidaské "to watch an interview with Angeline Boulley as she discusses "Sisters in the Wind."
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