The Painted Drum

This book took me a while to enjoy. It starts slowly but gets very juicy in the second half. I found the Indian characters most compelling. The final scene between mother and daughter moved me to tears. I loved the author's use of language; her dialogues were especially memorable. I would recommend it.

This was recommended to me through a group on ravelry.com. Knitters tend to know good audio books, and they were right on with this one. I was surprised and pleased when the story turned from modern day back to the origins of the drum. I felt the characters were very real, with all their flaws, and yet remarkable because of them. They came across as every day people - neighbors, acquaintances, friends. This is a great read (listen!)

This book sneaks up on you from behind and delivers a subtle, yet powerful, blow between the shoulders which shakes the heart. It builds, turns back on itself, and demands an emotional response. Erdrich circles the story and each turn adds resonance and depth to the characters and to the reader's experience. Highly recommended if you want to experience a book that delves beneath the surface of what it means to be human.

Louise Erdrich has composed a beautiful story about life. As Faye, the main character reflects on her life, she is drawn into other lives past and present. Finding and keeping the drum in order to find it's "true owners" provides the opportunity for Faye to learn more about herself and her mother. The writing is succinct, but not spare. I thought the narrator did an excellent job with this book. At one point, I had to check the narrator because I was convinced it was two narrators.

If you love Erdrich's novels, you'll love this one too. If you're new to Erdrich, this is a good start. It's a bit less dark and complicated than some of her other stories. Though plenty of heartache in this one too, there's a lot redemption and humor, too. Anna Fields goes a great job as narrator. Highly recommended.

Erdrich's style of prose isn't one that lends itself easily to a verbal interpretation, yet Field's does a wonderful job bringing Erdrich's vivid images, complex symbols, and ever-shifting narrators to life. I was especially impressed with her pacing (which allowed the listeners to absorb all of Erdrich's rich language) and her fitting pronunciation/inflection of the Native American Indian specific vocabulary. Simply put, it was lovely to listen to Field's interpretation.

As a tribal member, I hated every bit of the "Native accent" but the story wasn't too bad.

I love the quote that compares sitting in the apple orchard to life and relationships. A beautifully written piece of work.

Especially loved the narrator who made the novel come to life. I will listen to it again.