The Adoptee Bookshelf

Boulley, Angeline. Sisters in the Wind. 2025. 370p. Henry Holt and Co., $16.99 (9781250328533) Recommended grade level(s). Grades 10-12.  

Rating: 

5 Stars- Buy it! 

Identities: Indigenous adoptee, Ojibwe

A companion novel to Boulley’s earlier works, FireKeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, Angeline Boulley delivers a riveting story that centers indigenous sovereignty, adoptee/foster care youth experiences, and the violence of systems designed to separate indigenous children from their families and nations. Through Lucy Smith’s story, Boulley covers a range of topics from ICWA, foster care, private adoption, and the way these systems continue to disproportionately harm indigenous women and children.   

Lucy Smith has lived her young adult life in survival mode, always on the run. Told in multiple timelines, the novel illustrates the years when Lucy’s biological father was still alive, knowing nothing of her mother, her years in foster care, and the present day, after a targeted blast at the diner where she works holds off her plans to escape again. When she wakes up she is met by Daunis Fontaine and Jamie Johnson–familiar characters from Boulley’s earlier novels. They come not as strangers, but as relatives and community members who know the parts of Lucy’s story she has never had answers to: her Ojibwe heritage, her mother, and the culture that was taken from her. Lucy wants none of it. She is resistant to knowing anything about her biological mother much less building any connection with these two people who so obviously care about her. After the trauma she has experienced in the child welfare system her protective walls are up and she has learned to trust nobody. However, she is in no place to run again. 

While Daunis and Jamie support Lucy in healing her physical injuries, she begins to learn about the history of indigenous children, ICWA, and how even in her own case the social worker ignored Lucy’s indigenous heritage. An exceptional and powerful read that is also mystery and action-packed. Boulley uncovers a story hidden in plain sight about the realities of the foster care system and the failures of the child welfare system for indigenous children. This would make an excellent addition to a high school library and is a must-read for decolonizing thinking. 

Perspectives (Windows & Mirrors): A mirror for indigenous teens, especially those impacted by family separations. Additionally, youth who’ve experienced foster care may find connections to Lucy’s story. A window for non-indigenous readers into the ongoing history of colonial child removal. The voice of Lucy’s biological mother is not included in the narrative; however, I am hopeful Boulley will add her story to the world of characters she has created. 

Practice (Educational Approach & Things to Consider): Curricular connections can be made to ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act, boarding school history, and intergenerational trauma. This is also a beautiful exploration of cultural reclamation. This is an essential book for any high school library and could be an addition to college-level coursework.