Scan barcode
A review by mmarlborough
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What a perfect book. I always enjoy Patchett’s character driven novels, but they range from like (“Dutch House” and “Commonwealth”) to love (“State of Wonder”) for me. This is my favorite of hers to date.
Lara is a middle aged mother working on the family Cherry Farm with her adult daughters during the pandemic when they ask her about her romantic relationship with the celebrity Peter Duke. Lara recounts her time acting with him in a summer stock theatre in Michigan in her youth, long before he was a star.
I worked in the Wardrobe Dept for 6 years at a summer stock theatre in MA in my early 20s, so this book made me feel all the feels. It is a love letter to theatre and coming of age in the arts. It brought me right back to the intense immediate connections that only can be born in those circumstances. I loved the way this story unfolded. Patchett is an expert at writing family dynamics. Gosh she’s brilliant.
I would recommend knowledge on a few of the plays in the novel for maximum enjoyment - Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” and Wilder’s “Our Town.” I read this but am also hearing wonderful things about Meryl Streep’s audiobook narration.
✨Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Abortion, Pandemic, Cancer, Mental Illness
Lara is a middle aged mother working on the family Cherry Farm with her adult daughters during the pandemic when they ask her about her romantic relationship with the celebrity Peter Duke. Lara recounts her time acting with him in a summer stock theatre in Michigan in her youth, long before he was a star.
I worked in the Wardrobe Dept for 6 years at a summer stock theatre in MA in my early 20s, so this book made me feel all the feels. It is a love letter to theatre and coming of age in the arts. It brought me right back to the intense immediate connections that only can be born in those circumstances. I loved the way this story unfolded. Patchett is an expert at writing family dynamics. Gosh she’s brilliant.
I would recommend knowledge on a few of the plays in the novel for maximum enjoyment - Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” and Wilder’s “Our Town.” I read this but am also hearing wonderful things about Meryl Streep’s audiobook narration.
✨Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Abortion, Pandemic, Cancer, Mental Illness