The Painted Drum Summary
Louise Erdrich

The Painted Drum Overview

A shifting mosaic of perspectives meant to mimic the patterns of oral history, Louise Erdrich's The Painted Drum focuses on a New England woman named Faye Travers and her discovery of an Ojibwe drum in the process of appraising an estate. Using the drum as a vehicle, the novel quickly becomes an exploration of grief, an examination of generational trauma, and a celebration of Ojibwe history. Set primarily in a small New Hampshire town and on an Ojibwe Reservation, The Painted Drum addresses themes of grief, love, parenthood, womanhood, and inheritance.