PICTURE MAKER
By Penina Spinka
Harper Collins - January 2002
ISBN 0007130163 - Trade PB
Historical Adventure
14th century North America and Greenland

Reviewed by: Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.com
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Books about 14th century America aren't exactly common, and fans of Jean M Auel, Robert J Conley's Real People series and Jane Smiley will be rejoicing at this large volume. It is packed with descriptions of the daily life and adventures of young Picture Maker and the other Native American and Norwegian characters that populate this highly entertaining novel. Picture Maker is a Ganeogaono, a people who are also known as Mohawks, and lives a pleasant life in a largely matriarchal society even though they are at war with the Algonquin. But all this changes when she is kidnapped during a raid and ends up as a slave and then reluctant concubine to her enemy. She is determined to escape despite being pregnant and alone. This is only the start of her extraordinary adventures and travels, which will involve meetings with Inuit and Vikings and finally show Picture Maker what her destiny is.

This is a vivid and enthralling book that shows each of the people Picture Maker meets as being a realistic mixture of good and bad and doesn't try to gloss over the less palatable features of their lives nor dwell unnecessarily on them. It is a big book and a large canvas, but I didn't feel that there was any part of it that ought to have been omitted. Spinka has managed that rarity, a longish novel that also features a longish story to fill the pages and some well-developed and engrossing characters that the reader will care about. If this is the sort of high standard that Penina Spinka is capable of, then I do hope that we will be seeing more of her work very soon.