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Sisters in the Wind
CCBC Review:
A gripping thriller told in dual time periods explores the personal and generational trauma of Lucy, who in 2005 has just aged out of the foster care system. When Jamie, an attorney, tracks Lucy down to inform her that her Ojibwe maternal relatives have been searching for her, Lucy is confused and on edge. She also knows that she’s being pursued—the reader doesn’t yet know why—and plans to run, until a pipe bomb badly fractures her leg. Recovering under the care of Jamie and his girlfriend, Daunis, who know Lucy’s family, Lucy confronts the fact that her white father never told her the truth of her heritage. Jamie, who works to reunite adopted Native children with their Native family members, teaches Lucy about the Indian Child Welfare Act. Flashbacks recount Lucy’s childhood and adolescence growing up with her father, who died of cancer; the con-artist stepmother who abandoned her; and a series of foster families where abuse (emotional, sexual) was rampant. Lucy’s final and longest placement is with a farming family that fosters a group of teens—many of whom are pregnant when they arrive, or who become pregnant after moving in. Realizing that all on the farm is not as idyllic as it seems, Lucy begins investigating and finds that her past and present are more entwined than she ever imagined. Like Boulley’s other books, this emotional page-turner features a strong, clever female lead and deftly tackles systemic issues affecting Native communities. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 14 and older
Age Range:
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Adoption
Faith, Spirituality and Religion
Foster Families
Illness and Disease
Multiracial Characters/Families
Mysteries
Ojibwe People
Stepmothers
Suspense
Trauma
Truth and Lies
Diversity subject:
Indigenous
Publishers:
Henry Holt, Macmillan
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781250328533
CCBC Location: Fiction, Boulley