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Mike Edwards
One of the novel’s antagonists, Grant Edwards is Mike’s dad and a wealthy attorney in Sault Ste. Marie. He also runs the Booster Bus, as he’s a huge Supes fan. Daunis has always found him a little smarmy and not very nice (she’s seen him berate Mike in public for not saving goals). But his behavior escalates in the novel’s present—especially once he insists that Daunis calls him Grant instead of Mr. Edwards. He spends weeks invading Daunis’s personal space and creepily staring at her, though Daunis struggles to avoid him as she believes that he’s part of the meth cell. Finally, at Shagala, Grant tricks Daunis into coming back to his hotel room and then rapes her. During the assault, he reveals that “hockey girls” are his “weakness” and that he also had a sexual relationship with Robin (whether or not that relationship was consensual is never made explicit, but Daunis assumes it wasn’t). He also implies that he got Robin addicted to opioid painkillers and offers to get some for Daunis. It ultimately turns out that Grant isn’t involved in the meth cell, and he’s never prosecuted for raping Daunis due to the fact that he’s white and raped Daunis, an enrolled tribal member, on tribal land. He and his wife, Mrs. Edwards, divorce once Mike disappears.
Grant Edwards Quotes in Firekeeper’s Daughter
The Firekeeper’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Grant Edwards or refer to Grant Edwards. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 22 Quotes
“She used to be Heather Swanson,” I say. “Everyone knew her dad was Joey Nodin, but he denied it. Supposedly he threatened Heather’s mom when she asked for child support. But once the casino opened and the Tribe started paying per cap, Joey claimed paternity and enrolled Heather in the Tribe. People say Joey paid her mom’s shady boyfriend to set her up for a drug bust so she would lose custody. The custodial parent gets the kid’s minor money.”
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Chapter 26 Quotes
Each tribe has the sovereign right to determine who is a member. My best friend couldn’t get enrolled because of the way the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s enrollment office calculated Indian blood quantum: fractions of Indian blood based on lineage. Granny June’s first husband was from a First Nations band in Canada, so Lily’s pedigree didn’t meet the standard. Too many ancestors from across the river, not the right kind of Indian blood. Granny filed an appeal with Tribal Council, telling them, No one told me I wasn’t supposed to snag on that side of the river. We were here before that border existed. Every one of yous got cousins over there. But Council rejected her appeal for Lily’s membership application.
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Chapter 55 Quotes
I am so tired. The weight of my expendability is crushing.
Not everyone gets justice. Least of all Nish kwewag.
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Chapter 57 Quotes
As my aunt tells the story, a large basket is passed around the inner circle. I take a yellow pansy and pass the basket to Auntie. I watch as women approach the fire, each one offering a pansy.
As I release the pansy, I think about what Grant Edwards did to me and say my silent prayer. There is comfort in watching the smoke rise to the full moon.
When I return to my seat, Granny June holds my hand.
“Liliban was thankful each year that you weren’t here,” she says.
“Wait. She was here?” My heart breaks.
“Yes, my girl. Ever since she came to live with me.”
I cry for my best friend and the secrets she wanted to protect me from.
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Grant Edwards Character Timeline in Firekeeper’s Daughter
The timeline below shows where the character Grant Edwards appears in Firekeeper’s Daughter. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 23
...Daunis introduces Coach Bobby and Mr. Edwards to Ron. Mr. Edwards insists Daunis call him Grant now that she’s graduated, and she asks about the Booster Bus. Grant offers to let...
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...dinners for the team during hockey season, and she suspects there might be clues in Grant’s home office. She tells Mike he did a great job, but Grant casually says that...
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Chapter 24
...way, Daunis says that in addition to some players, Coach Bobby will be there—he and Grant got to be good friends after a shooting incident a few years ago. Travis, Levi,...
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At the Edwards house, Daunis identifies all the luxury vehicles belonging to Dana, Levi, Grant, and Coach Bobby, but she insists nice cars aren’t suspicious and Coach won his in...
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...right next to Mike—she’s going to pretend to be interested in everything she says. As Grant gives Daunis a long look while lamenting that GrandMary won’t be at Shagala, Daunis thinks...
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...there so she can come back downstairs, as his bedroom shares a Jack-and-Jill bathroom with Grant’s home office. They set up the BlackBerry, Daunis drops her old phone, and a few...
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Chapter 25
...last long. Suddenly, Mike becomes aggressive and says that Daunis isn’t better than him, and Grant is right: girls are distractions. He leaves the room. Daunis is shocked by Mike’s behavior;...
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...When Ron pulls into Daunis’s driveway, she tells them about the photos she took of Grant’s bookshelf and that she couldn’t access client files in the desk. In case Mom is...
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Chapter 26
...a woman who knows her accepts her check and offers her a beer. Daunis ignores Grant waving her over and sits next to Ron instead. Bus passengers are mostly Zhaaganaash; Nishnaabs...
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Daunis feels like she’s in a fog until Grant slides in next to her at the game. Hearing a Zhaaganaash bring up per cap,...
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Chapter 27
...As she reaches her room, the woman who flashed a truck on the bus leaves Grant’s room looking a mess—and Grant, wrapped in a towel, looks wildly proud. Grant greets Daunis,...
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...Daunis’s box are blank except for smudged dream catchers on one side—and Coach explains that Grant donated them to a tribal youth program, but Grant wants to keep his donation quiet....
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Chapter 28
...to pull him inside, but he says they can’t and leaves. The next door opens: Grant pokes his head out and says Daunis’s secret is safe.
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Chapter 29
...first to board the Booster Bus in the morning. She saves Ron a spot, but Grant scoots in next to her. He says he always thought she was a good girl,...
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Chapter 33
...is disappointed to see that Robin is barely mentioned, but there’s a huge photo of Grant, who’s sponsoring the game. As the Supes and other guys burst through the lobby doors,...
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Chapter 38
...Levi? But Daunis is distracted when Levi tells Jamie about Daunis’s old shoulder injury, and Grant appears and says that Tribal Council met today—Daunis is a member now. Daunis feels ill....
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Chapter 40
...things. Auntie takes photos of everyone on the steps. In the ballroom a bit later, Grant and Chief Manitou begin the ceremony. Levi, as team captain, gives a speech. Daunis winces...
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...regalia. Levi hugs Daunis and whispers that there’s another surprise at her house. After dinner, Grant and Mrs. Edwards introduce the Supes and let the players and their dates open the...
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...a person Daunis is. Daunis already feels out of control when, down in the ballroom, Grant appears next to her and invites her to his room to see a video—security footage...
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Chapter 41
Daunis walks ahead of Grant to the hotel. She decides that she’ll let him tell her what he knows and...
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...pushes Macy back into the restroom and growls at her to never be alone with Grant Edwards. Jamie asks about Daunis’s behavior when they’re safely in the truck, but Daunis refuses...
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In her head, Daunis thinks about how the conversation will go: she’ll tell Jamie that Grant is involved with the meth cell and at least helped get Robin addicted to painkillers....
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...Daunis swings at Jamie again, misses, and is suddenly back in the hotel room with Grant when she hits the ground. Terrified, she punches and kicks until Ron helps her up....
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Chapter 43
...will hide the bruise on her shoulder. As she pulls a shirt on, she hears Grant telling her that the security cameras will show that she went with him willingly. Will...
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...He went missing after visiting Angie Flint, Travis’s mom, so Angie needs to be questioned. Grant is involved if he’s donating the pucks, and Levi is trying to set Daunis up...
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Chapter 45
...and tasered Jamie again before chaining Daunis to the bed. Daunis asks if it was Grant, but Jamie doesn’t know. She flinches when Jamie tries to touch her and then says...
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Chapter 46
...Mike says that Daunis isn’t as smart as he thought, but he’s going to follow Grant’s advice and play the long game. As Levi leaves, Mike says Daunis has a choice:...
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Chapter 47
...leg. Daunis wakes up terrified. Jamie is holding her and though Daunis knows he’s not Grant, his breath on her shoulder still scares her. After getting up, Daunis sorts through her...
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...the wall and asks if she can spoon him. Praying for courage, she says that Grant tricked her by saying he had a security video of her snooping in his office,...
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Chapter 48
...Daunis is awfully concerned about a guy she cheated on—he knows she had sex with Grant at Shagala. Mike thinks it was consensual. Jamie plays along and acts hurt, but Levi...
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Chapter 49
...As they drive, Levi says he thought Daunis was too good to cheat. She says Grant raped her, but clearly, Levi believes what Mike told him—even when Daunis shows him her...
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Chapter 50
Daunis tries to chase Levi, but he’s too far ahead. She notices Grant’s car; he must be here to get Levi. Then, Coach Bobby pulls up. Daunis asks...
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Chapter 52
...she realizes her stomach is rock hard. She’s elated; her community will get justice—and hopefully, Grant Edwards will, too. Suddenly, Daunis gasps and collapses. She can’t catch her breath, but the...
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Chapter 55
Enraged, Daunis asks if Jamie shared that Grant raped her at Shagala. She says that Jamie is naïve—he expected the feds would help...
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Chapter 57
...pansy and watches woman approach the fire to offer their pansies. She thinks of what Grant did to her and prays. When she sits back next to Granny June, Granny June...
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