Angeline Boulley was 55 when she published her first novel, but she was just getting started. Firekeeper’s Daughter (2021) was a runaway bestseller that is being adapted for Netflix by the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions. The book introduced readers to a biracial Michigan teen, both an insider and an outsider to her father’s Ojibwe tribe, who is investigating drug overdoses in her community. Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, followed up that impressive debut two years later with Warrior Girl Unearthed, also set, like the first book, on Sugar Island in Michigan.   

Another two years have passed, and this fall brings readers Sisters in the Wind (Henry Holt, September 2), about a teen in the foster care system seeking more information about her Ojibwe birth mother; Kirkus’ starred review calls it a “powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements”—in other words, this talented late bloomer is back to doing what she does best. Boulley recently answered our questions by email.

Tell readers, briefly, what Sisters in the Wind is about.

Former foster teen Lucy is fleeing from a painful past and the betrayal that nearly killed her. She wants nothing to do with the handsome attorney offering to connect her with the Native American family she never knew. Why does he care so much about Lucy? And why did he accidentally call her “Lily”?

What inspired this story?

The most recent threat to the Indian Child Welfare Act made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court (Haaland v. Brackeen, 2023). I know of many children and teens who have remained connected to their Native families and communities thanks to the ICWA, so I was curious as to why anyone would oppose this law. I learned that in far too many cases non-Native social services and court personnel either don’t fully understand ICWA or view it as a bureaucratic hassle. Lucy’s story is one example of why this law is paramount for children, teens, and the future survival of Native American tribes. 

Where and when did you write Sisters? Describe the scene, the time of day, the necessary accoutrements or talismans.

I’ve found that I am a different writer for each book. With Firekeeper’s Daughter, I was an early morning writer because of my day job in the U.S. Department of Education. For Sisters, I wrote in vampire mode—sitting down in the evening and continuing until sunrise—fueled by carbs, not blood.

What was most challenging about writing it? And most rewarding?

The challenge was writing while relocating to a new home. I spent the past year completing the most chaotic move from my former house to a condo unit in my former high school. My living room used to be my algebra classroom and my new bedroom was once the drama department…make of that what you will! 

What fall release(s) are you most eager to get your hands on?

I’m excited for Legendary Frybread Drive-in, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith. I contributed a short story for it and cannot wait to read the contributions by the other authors including Jen Ferguson, Byron Graves, Darcie Little Badger, Andrea L. Rogers, and Brian Young. Eric Gansworth, Ari Tison, and Louise Erdrich have books coming out soon. And I want all the adult rom-com stories from Indigenous authors.

Tom Beer is the editor-in-chief.