Tom Lake is set on a family cherry orchard during COVID, where Lara and her husband are holed up with their three adult daughters. To pass the time, the girls ask their mother to tell them about the summer she spent dating famous actor Peter Duke while performing in a summer stock production of Our Town.
Much like Our Town itself, this book is about life more than plot. There are no big twists or action items. Go in with appropriate expectations and you’ll probably love it.
Ann Patchett does a beautiful job painting three distinct personalities in Lara’s daughters, and the writing is thoughtful and almost meditative at times. I listened on audio, narrated by Meryl Streep, which is as good as it sounds. Especially notable coming from me, someone who can’t usually focus on fiction on audio.
I’ve thought back to it several times after finishing. The book mimics life: you think you know what the big moment is going to be, what’s going to matter, and then it turns out to be something smaller that you didn’t see coming. The thing you’ll actually still be thinking about in 30 years.
Fans of Ann Patchett won’t be disappointed. Fans of beautifully written, slower moving stories will find a lot to love here too.
