Drummed Out

The Painted Drum is a not so "colorful" historical fiction about a modern woman, Faye Travers, with Ojibwe ancestry. She uncovers a painted drum in an unlikely place to unlock secrets of her past. She makes it her mission to return it to its origins, where she finds a storyteller who informs her about the sacred drum and what it means. As Travers helps bring healing to the people it blessed/cursed, she also finds knowledge for life itself. This quick overview is more exciting than the book itself, for it is long and drawn out. There is so much time spent on irrelevant matters that distract from the plot and theme. Although the author, Louise Erdrich, makes a great contribution to Native American Literature with information about culture and beliefs, the book doesn't capture the reader's interest. Her writing style is monotonous and melancholy, turning the reader away with boredom. I would say don't bother reading this one because it was pretty average on the book rating scale, even though there maybe some insightful content within.