The Painted Drum - by Louise Erdrich (Paperback)

About the Book

Faye Travers discovers a rare Native American drum while appraising an estate in New Hampshire. The drum's passage is traced both forward and backward in time, revealing how it changed the lives of those whose paths it crossed.

Book Synopsis

"Haunted and haunting. . . . With fearlessness and humility, in a narrative that flows more artfully than ever between destruction and rebirth, Erdrich has opened herself to possibilities beyond what we merely see--to the dead alive and busy, to the breath of trees and the souls of wolves--and inspires readers to open their hearts to these mysteries as well."-- Washington Post Book World

From the author of the National Book Award Winner The Round House, Louise Erdrich's breathtaking, lyrical novel of a priceless Ojibwe artifact and the effect it has had on those who have come into contact with it over the years.

While appraising the estate of a New Hampshire family descended from a North Dakota Indian agent, Faye Travers is startled to discover a rare moose skin and cedar drum fashioned long ago by an Ojibwe artisan. And so begins an illuminating journey both backward and forward in time, following the strange passage of a powerful yet delicate instrument, and revealing the extraordinary lives it has touched and defined.

Compelling and unforgettable, Louise Erdrich's Painted Drum explores the often-fraught relationship between mothers and daughters, the strength of family, and the intricate rhythms of grief with all the grace, wit, and startling beauty that characterizes this acclaimed author's finest work.

From the Back Cover

While appraising the estate of a New Hampshire family descended from a North Dakota Indian agent, Faye Travers is startled to discover a rare moose skin and cedar drum fashioned long ago by an Ojibwe artisan. And so begins an illuminating journey both backward and forward in time, following the strange passage of a powerful yet delicate instrument, and revealing the extraordinary lives it has touched and defined.

Compelling and unforgettable, Louise Erdrich's Painted Drum explores the often fraught relationship between mothers and daughters, the strength of family, and the intricate rhythms of grief with all the grace, wit, and startling beauty that characterizes this acclaimed author's finest work.

Review Quotes

"Erdrich soars in scenes that are resonant, poetic and exact, visions that will remain imprinted on the reader's mind because of their brilliant mythic overtones. . . . A fine novel." - Los Angeles Times Book Review
"[Erdrich's] fictionalized version of the real Ojibwa tribe is a brilliant creation: it possesses the instantly persuasive strangeness of something faithful to life." - New York Times Book Review
"Complex and graceful . . . Her most recent work shows Erdrich only becoming better with time." - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"A lovely addition . . . to a growing landscape as memorable and enduring as William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"This is her best book yet." - Providence Journal
"A top-notch read and one of her finest efforts." - Denver Post
"One of her best novels . . . Erdrich's writing has become richer, her voice wiser and gentler even as she tells the harshest of stories. She shies away from nothing." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"This is simply a good book... Neatly etched characters, finely calibrated prose, and flashes of wisdom and wit throughout." - Christian Science Monitor
"Haunted and haunting... With fearlessness and humility... [Erdrich] inspires readers to open their hearts." - Washington Post Book World
"Erdrich at her most accomplished. . . . Startling imagery and remarkable insights into love, foolishness, bravery and betrayal." - Philadelphia Inquirer
"One of her best novels... Erdrich's writing has become richer, her voice wiser... She shies away from nothing." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Intricate and beautifully written . . . Reading these pages, I understood that Erdrich is a writer who believes that life is change and who is never afraid to let her characters experience it." - Boston Sunday Globe
"We see Erdrich at her most accomplished, once again beating out her song with a grace and strength that commands us to listen and to learn . . . [The Painted Drum] offers the startling imagery and remarkable insights into love, foolishness, bravery and betrayal we expect from Erdrich." - Philadelphia Inquirer
"Erdrich soars in scenes that are resonant, poetic and exact, visions that will remain imprinted on the reader's mind." - Los Angeles Times Book Review
"A brilliant creation: it possesses the instantly persuasive strangeness of something faithful to life." - New York Times Book Review