The Painted Drum

“A lovely addition . . . to a growing landscape as memorable and enduring as William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County. — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Complex and graceful . . . Her most recent work shows Erdrich only becoming better with time.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer
“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
“This is simply a good book... Neatly etched characters, finely calibrated prose, and flashes of wisdom and wit throughout.” — Christian Science Monitor
“One of her best novels... Erdrich’s writing has become richer, her voice wiser... She shies away from nothing.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Haunted and haunting... With fearlessness and humility... [Erdrich] inspires readers to open their hearts.” — Washington Post Book World
“This is her best book yet.” — Providence Journal
“Erdrich at her most accomplished. . . . Startling imagery and remarkable insights into love, foolishness, bravery and betrayal.” — Philadelphia Inquirer
“A top-notch read and one of her finest efforts.” — Denver Post

When a woman named Faye Travers is called upon to appraise the estate of a family in her small New Hampshire town, she isn't surprised to discover a forgotten cache of valuable Native American artifacts. However, she stops dead in her tracks when she finds a rare drum -- a powerful yet delicate object, made from a massive moose skin stretched across a hollow of cedar, ornamented with symbols and dressed in red tassels and a beaded belt and skirt -- especially since, without touching the instrument, she hears it sound.
From Faye's discovery, we trace the drum's passage both backward and forward in time, and discover how it changes the lives of those whose paths it crosses.