2 out of 4 stars
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Painted Days: A tale of origins by Peter Driscoll is a work of fiction set 8,000 years ago in Northern Europe. Though it fits well into the genre of historical fiction, it also gives the reader glimpses of modern-day science techniques such as carbon dating and magnetic resonance imaging. In this book, the author weaves a story around what could have been the way of life of our ancestors at the start of the Mesolithic period.
In a small office at the University of Leeuwarden, we see a jumble of carved and dusty pieces of wood, a stack of clay tablets, and a staff with intricate carvings placed close to a computer screen. This is where Dr. Carl Bolt works, along with his partner Dr. Barbara Bolt, on these pieces to uncover stories of a little-known past. As the Bolts examine these artefacts, we are transported back in time to an era where people had to hunt for food and live in tribes that had to keep moving according to the moods of the forces of nature.
We then meet Talid—an expert hunter—who knows exactly how to survive best with the natural resources around him. He is the one who chops down just the right trees to build rafts, the one who knows how to listen to silence and sense trouble around him, and also the one who falls hopelessly in love with a green-eyed beauty from a rival tribe. Named Jalinyi, this girl reciprocates Talid’s feelings. What follows is a beautiful love story between the two. We also see how there are girls going missing from their tribe—a mystery that gets solved only in the last few chapters of the book. Can Talid and Jalinyi figure out who is responsible for the abductions? Or, will this task have to be taken up by the generation that follows?
This book provided a fascinating look into the possible history and culture of early humankind. The story kept me guessing about what happened to the missing girls and when they would be found. I particularly liked how Talid’s character was resourceful and fearless while being protective, loyal, and caring to Jalinyi. Don’t we all want someone like that in life?
I frequently disagreed with some of the philosophies the members of the tribes held, like when all the men of a tribe slept with the same four women who were already weak due to lack of food. The logic was simply explained by a statement made by the tribal chief who says that they are duty-bound to do this “not for lust or desire, but for the survival of the tribe.” However, these unique perspectives provide the reader with some food for thought as to whether these unpalatable deeds were common in the days of yore.
While this book is educational and the plot is exciting, it is not an easy read in terms of flow. Though the author appears to be a native English speaker, the writing quality of the book seems to seesaw between good and bad. There are a number of typos and awkward sentences. A number of errors with regard to pronouns, such as the use of “he” instead of “she” and vice versa can also be observed. Also, the author seems to have confused the names of some of the characters in certain chapters. For instance, on page 52, one of the sentences starts as “Talid pulled her back and they crept up the track to the other side….” This becomes confusing to the reader as Talid is not even part of the scene and the author seems to have used his name in place of that of another character in the book—Rhatha. I believe this work could still be made excellent with the help of a professional copy editor.
I rate Painted Days 2 out of 4 stars because the numerous errors on every page negatively impact the whole reading experience. That being said, this is a beautiful story that got me thinking about how people in the late Stone Age had to brave difficult weather conditions and suffer from starvation for a large part of their lives. I just wish the book could have been a little bit more polished. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a healthy mix of action, deceit, and love in a story.
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Painted Days
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