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The Painted Drum: A Novel (P.S.)
by: Louise Erdrich

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060515119
ISBN: 0060515112
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: September 01, 2006
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: August 22, 2006
Sales Rank: 65096
Studio: Harper Perennial

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Product Description:

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.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Life and Death
Life and Death
I thought The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich had both good and bad qualities. I didn't like how the book was structured or some of the characters. Faye's story didn't really have anything to do with the drum. I know she found it and in some way it helped her move on in her life, but that was barely discussed at all. I don't think Fay added much to the story. I would rather have heard more about Bernard and Ira. Also, the Pillager family tree seems to stretch far and wide. I found it hard to keep track of who was related to whom.
What I liked about this novel was the theme. It had to do with both life and death. Many of the characters didn't know at first why they should live, yet near the end everyone found a purpose for their lives. Some of them were also able to come to terms with the death of their loved ones. That's not a very easy thing to do. I think the moral in this ... Read More

Rating:

- Another great novel from Erdrich
Two stories are intertwined here, and I didn't want either one to end! Erdrich's amazing writing brings these characters into vivid focus, and the story is so compelling. She shows us people as they really are: sometimes admirable, sometimes despicable, sometimes pitiful -- but she always depicts them with compassion. I will remember this book for a long time.

Rating:

- One of the best Erdrich novels
After reading many of Louise Erdrich's novels, I had become tired of their similarities -- until, that is, I decided to give The Painted Drum a chance. Erdrich's novel recaptures the originality of her earlier work and improves it with the maturity of a veteran novelist, succeeding with her multiple narratives as she never has before.

The author has been quoted as describing her writing style as a patchwork quilt, piecing scraps of stories together until they form a beautiful whole. In The Painted Drum, these scraps consist of two major plots: the present day story of Faye, a contemporary woman living with a sense of loss, and the history of a painted drum Faye acquires. The novel's structure is not as simple, however, as this division suggests, as individual stories abound. The throbbing resonance of the drum takes on haunting meaning as its history, traced back to its creation, is revealed. Although ... Read More

Rating:

- I Enjoyed This Audiobook Very Much!
I was drawn to this book because I have read Louse Edrich's books before and I enjoyed her treatment of American Indian history and lore. I do not know a lot about it myself, but I assume she researches these things quite a bit before she writes about them. It would be interesting to go back and check some of her historical background and presentations to see if they are accurate.

Loiuise Edrich's book, the Painted Drum is a story about a mother and daughter team of estate appraisers who find a treasure of a painted American Indian drum in someone's attic. The story is developed at first as part of the lives of the mother and daughter. The daughter has stolen the drum for a reason that she doesn't quite understand herself! Later on, the drum is returned to its rightful owners and we learn of its story as Bernard, the grandson of its creator tells it. The story of the drum kept me interested as it wove ... Read More

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