Fireweed
Ratings1
Average rating4
For readers of Amanda Peters and Tana French; a subversion of the missing woman plot that follows a white housewife's misguided investigation into the disappearance of her Indigenous neighbor. In the mowed-down industrial north of Prince George, Canada, housewife Jenny Hayes shares a fence with the only First Nations woman in the neighborhood, Rachelle, and her two little girls. Jenny desperately wants a child and can’t understand why Rachelle, with her trash-pocked and overgrown yard, should have what Jenny wants most in the world. But Jenny tries to suppress her judgment as she has with her mother Fi, a cougar who chain smokes cigarettes instead of changing the full diapers of her boyfriend’s kids, and Missy, her best friend with Juicy Couture pulled tight over her baby bump and an unfurnished McMansion. Instead, she volunteers to babysit Rachelle’s girls—brushing hair, folding laundry, and ignoring the stilettos tucked under the bed in Rachelle’s disheveled home. But when two young women—the strawberry blonde, blue-eyed Beth Tremblay and Jenny’s own neighbor, Rachelle—disappear along Highway 16, only Beth’s face and name are plastered on billboards and broadcasted over the air. Rachelle’s daughters are carted off by the state, and Jenny takes it upon herself to investigate. After all, Jenny thinks, who else is looking for her "squaw" neighbor? Jenny stutters through police encounters, asks the Métis people living on the Rez all the wrong questions, and ultimately faces the question of why, in the spectacle of tragedy, she involves herself. With great awareness and care, Lauren Haddad brilliantly exposes both our impulse to mythologize marginalized communities and the damage we do when privileging our own value system over others’. Gripping, subversive, and prophetic, Fireweed begs the question, what do we do with a person who isn’t bad, but who does no good?
Tags
Genre
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
Book Review: Fireweed by Lauren Haddad 📚
I recently finished Fireweed by Lauren Haddad and I have to say, it left a strong impression on me. Set in the industrial north of Prince George, Canada, the story centers around Jenny Hayes, a woman stuck in a life she’s not quite sure about. Jenny lives next door to Rachelle, the only First Nations woman in the neighborhood, who has two young daughters. Jenny longs for a child herself and wrestles with feelings of jealousy and confusion over why Rachelle, despite her less-than-perfect yard and disheveled home, seems to have what she wants most. 🌲📚
Jenny’s life is complicated by the people around her—her mother Fi, who’s more interested in chain smoking than childcare, and her best friend Missy, who’s living the suburban dream but still feels hollow inside. Jenny steps into Rachelle’s world by volunteering to babysit her kids, trying to bridge the gap between their very different lives. 👩👧👧🤝
The story takes a darker turn when two young women, Beth Tremblay and Rachelle, go missing along Highway 16. The media only focuses on Beth’s disappearance, leaving Rachelle overlooked and her children taken by the state. Feeling that no one else will stand up for her neighbor, Jenny embarks on a clumsy investigation that forces her—and the reader—to confront uncomfortable truths about race, class, and gender in rural communities. 🚨🕵️♀️
Lauren Haddad does an incredible job peeling back layers of prejudice and self-interest, showing how good intentions can sometimes be clouded by personal bias. The book is gripping and rebellious, challenging readers to think deeply about how we see others and ourselves. 🔥📖
On a personal note, I was immediately drawn in by the striking cover—definitely one of those designs that makes you want to pick up the book. There’s been some controversy around Fireweed, which honestly only made me more curious. And I’m glad I dove in. The writing is beautiful, the setting vivid and immersive, and the characters feel real and complex. When I read a book, I like to focus purely on the story itself, without distractions from outside noise or opinions—and for me, this book delivered big time. It was genuinely entertaining, well-crafted, and absolutely worth the read. 🎨✨
Overall, I’d give Fireweed four stars. It’s a thoughtful and powerful novel that stays with you long after you turn the last page. If you’re looking for a story that challenges perspectives while keeping you hooked, this one’s for you. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
Originally posted at tinyurl.com.
