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A review by bhnmt61
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
5.0
Lara is in her late fifties and her three adult daughters have come home to spend lockdown at the family cherry farm in northern Michigan. The first half is practically an empty nester fantasy- all your kids are home, getting along, working together, and hanging on your every word as you tell the story of the summer you spent having an affair with a man who would become the world’s most recognizable star.
But summer flings (and cherry harvest season) eventually come to an end, and not always gracefully— the ending of that long ago summer comes back into focus and things turn a little dark. The final reveals are sad and somewhat difficult to read.
Unlike some of the other family-oriented novels I’ve read recently, this one is told entirely from Lara’s point of view, although it isn’t first person. I suspect I will be thinking about it for awhile, not only because it’s a good story but also because it’s a tour de force— a great writer at the top of her game. Good book. For me, it is a better book than the Dutch House, although I’ve seen several reviewers say the opposite.
But summer flings (and cherry harvest season) eventually come to an end, and not always gracefully— the ending of that long ago summer comes back into focus and things turn a little dark. The final reveals are sad and somewhat difficult to read.
Unlike some of the other family-oriented novels I’ve read recently, this one is told entirely from Lara’s point of view, although it isn’t first person. I suspect I will be thinking about it for awhile, not only because it’s a good story but also because it’s a tour de force— a great writer at the top of her game. Good book. For me, it is a better book than the Dutch House, although I’ve seen several reviewers say the opposite.