Description
Ojibwe author's 10th novel focuses on a remarkable painted drum created by an Ojibwe father mourning the loss of his daughter. Three connected stories link the drum in time. The first story is told by a modern Native American woman who runs an antique business in New Hampshire. When she locates a Native drum in the estate of a former Indian agent, she is compelled to take it after hearing its sound. With her mother, the dealer repatriates the drum to its original home. In the final story, the drum's power saves the lives of three children during a winter storm. Themes of loss and grief link the three stories of the novel. Some critics find this latest Erdrich novel less then perfect but readers will be intrigued by the characters and the lives connected to this painted drum. Novel plus 18 additional pages containing an interview with the author and review.