A review by shayzard
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

5.0

I appreciated this novel about a mother telling her adult children stories about her time as an actress–when she dated the not-yet-famous Duke–during their time on a farm during the COVID19 pandemic. The subconscious search of who she is and who she wants to be while she works as an actress and the complications romance itself were the perfect mix for a novel in itself, let alone the additional of contemporary frame. The contemporary moments also help a great deal with the tension in who she ends up marrying, having children with, etc. The narrator also flat-out refuses to tell some things, which I admired. It's very interesting to see what she tells her kids and what doesn't, and try to piece together what she tells us and what she doesn't. I'm curious if this will be shortlisted for the Pulitzer next year.