Another great book from Ann Patchett. Tom Lake is set during the pandemic, but that is not the focus of this novel. Family relationships, love, the life of parents before marriage are all explored. As often with Ann Patchett, there is a story within a story. I highly recommend this book.

I so loved this book! It drew me in from the start and held on. While this was my introduction to Ann Patchett, the Michigan setting and landmarks were familiar to me, which added enjoyment. Lara narrates highlights of her young adult life to her three young adult daughters, as they furiously work to pick cherries in their Northern Michigan orchard early in the lockdown months of the Covid pandemic. There are romances, nostalgia, tender family moments, disappointments, heartbreaks— revealed with exquisite pacing that kept me feeling like I was there observing it all. I will be looking at more of Ms. Patchett’s work promptly!

A slow, beautiful story. I think a reader will love this book, if they know what they are getting into. It is, at its heart, a simple story. Three daughters return home in 2020 to help their parents pick cherries as they pick their mother tells them the story of dating a famous movie star. I found the early years much more fascinating than the current time as the narration bounce between times, however I thoroughly enjoyed both.

Ann Patchett does not disappoint. Tom Lake is the ultimate love story. A story of your first love that will always be a part of you. A story of the love of your life and the place you call home. And the love of your family.
The setting is idyllic and the characters are human and and flawed but so real. And it all started with Thorton Wilder's play, Our Town.
Tears at the end only because I will miss those people. And the beautiful setting and the tiny cemetery full of daisies.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper for an early read.

I finished #TomLake, the newest novel by #AnnPatchett, one of my favorite writers. I had the pleasure of not knowing much about this novel when I read it, and I loved that experience. Tom Lake was a slow-burn read for me. I enjoyed the characters and the story, but I thought it was mostly fine and would be a four-star read. Then, about 80% in, and Ann Patchett does what she does best, and she made this novel a #5StarRead. It's not my favorite of hers, but the themes of memories, storytelling, secrets, and mothering check a lot of boxes for me. I also think I will never tire of Covid novels because the pandemic changed me in so many ways, one of which was shaping my thoughts on priorities and what matters most. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #BooksAndFlowers #BookThoughts #ReesesBookClub

Ann Patchett is such a gifted writer that even a book that doesn’t at first glance seem that interesting, turns out to be one that is impossible to put down. I read it in one sitting, increasingly wondering how the various plots would resolve. Three adult daughters find themselves at home on a cherry farm, helping their parents during the Pandemic. They ask their mother to describe how she met their father, and incidentally a well-known actor, while all were in a play, as young adults. There are secrets and surprises hidden within the past, and the various relationships unfold in different time periods. The drama is quiet, personal and gripping. This is another winning tale by a master. I received by copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really do love Ann Patchett's writing and Tom Lake is no different. I loved almost every moment of this book. I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the way the story progressed. Ann Patchett's writing feels like a cozy blanket and a chilly day. It's comforting, not at all boring and warming.

I liked how she handled the pandemic timeline and thought the family representation was wonderful.

This was almost a perfect book.

I cannot wait to recommend this book to everyone.

Readers are dropped in to the summer of 2020 when Lara (and her husband Joe) are home at their farm in northern Michigan with their three 20something daughters, and she is retelling a summer of her youth when she dated famous actor Peter Duke. It’s a story the girls have never heard in it’s entirety and they’re obsessed with. So interspersed with the current day of the farm happenings, we jump back in time to Lara’s summer at Tom Lake, learning about her relationship with Duke and others, her (limited but powerful) acting talent, her independence in youth, and her introduction to the farm.

To me, this story is told in the way of summer - in the moment, the retelling of an afternoon playing tennis or a rehearsal is a bit drawn out and detailed. But looking back in totality, the memories weave together a beautiful history.

I liked the way this book made me feel and the relationships that were detailed - especially learning about the people in Lara’s life who her daughters were each named after. I recognize the pacing was very intentional but it was a little too slow for my interest. Still beautifully written and certainly for lovers of character development. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A quiet and mesmerizing story that pulls you in with recognizable characters who are so very human that you find you can't put the book down. A mother is urged by her three twenty-something daughters to tell the story of her life as they are locked down on their Michigan cherry farm during the pandemic. I found this novel heartwarming, heartbreaking and so very accessible right from the start. How much we share with our children about our earlier life with all our regrets due to our immaturity and first love's very powerful hold on us is the take away from reading this novel. I loved all the characters but especially Lara as she recounts her life. Patchett's ability to draw realistic and very different daughters living during uncertain times...and Lara's love for them but also her understanding of their differences is very powerful. This is definitely my favorite Ann Patchett novel! I want to thank NetGalley and Harper for the advanced copy for my honest review.

Ann Patchett has done it again! One of my favorite authors on the planet has once again written a poignant, beautiful story, masterfully told in a way that had me hanging on to her every word from the first page to the last (and never wanting it to end).

Told from the first person viewpoint of the main character Lara Kinnison, who lives with her husband Joe on a cherry farm in Michigan, the story weaves seamlessly between past and present as Lara tells her three grown daughters (who have returned to the farm during the pandemic to help with cherry picking) about the time she played summer stock at a theater company named Tom Lake, where she also had a brief romance with an actor named Peter Duke (who later becomes a hugely popular and famous actor). I mention the pandemic, but please note that this is NOT a pandemic novel — instead, this is a novel about complicated family dynamics (especially the relationship between parents and their children), about love in its many iterations, about the innocence of youth, and above all else, about the complexities of human relationships.

With this novel, Patchett once again does what she is so good at — she presents an epic, luminous, profoundly perceptive story, but in a way that is subtle, exquisite, and never feels overwhelming. Patchett writes with an emotional subtlety that I absolutely love, but it was especially effective with this story, which, at its core, is an homage to Thornton Wilder’s classic play Our Town. There was so much to love about this book — the gorgeous prose, the flawless writing, the endearing characters, the subtle humor, the picturesque setting, the quiet beauty of the story told in a wistful yet hopeful tone, the perfect amount of detail to establish a sense of place that made for an incredibly immersive experience, etc (and that’s just scratching the surface).

In terms of the Our Town references — I had actually never read that classic, but immediately after finishing Tom Lake, I went and bought a copy of Our Town because I felt compelled to finally read it (on a recent podcast interview that Patchett did, the host said she should get a commission for all the times someone bought Our Town after reading her novel and I agree 100%!).

Given how much I adored Patchett’s newest novel, of course I recommend that everyone read it. For me, I will read anything she writes at this point and while I wait for future new work, I will continue to slowly work my way through her backlist as I have been doing (I intend to be a completist of her work at some point).

Received ARC from Harper via NetGalley.

Ann Patchett never disappoints and Tom Lake is no exception. When I need a break from my usual romances Patchett is exactly what I crave. My only disappointment is I just found out Meryl Streep does the audiobook and I wish I would have listened to it. Many thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Ann Patchett's books have always resonated with me: her writing style and her stories of relationships of all sorts epitomize the very best in accessible contemporary American literature. They are neither of the "tell a good story and then walk away" genre nor do they pretend to be so literary as to appeal to those who only like impenetrable novels. Tom Lake is no exception. It focuses on Lara (originally Laura), a young actress who specializes in playing the role of Emily in Thornton Wilder's Our Town and who spends an unforgettable and defining summer at the playhouse in Tom Lake, Michigan, where she has a brief affair with fellow actor Duke, who goes on to fame and fortune, and where she ruptures her Achilles tendon while playing the best tennis of her life against tennis pro Sebastian, who is Duke's older brother. Suffice it to say that Lara gives up acting, has other skills to fall back on and eventually marries Joe Nelson, director of the Tom Lake production in which Lara had starred and owner of a nearby cherry farm. One could argue that much of the story of their meeting again is contrived, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that 30 years of so later, while they are confined together during the pandemic, Lara, now age 57, is finally telling her three grown daughters some of the details in her encounter with the famous Peter Duke. It is their relationships - parents and daughters, Joe and Lara, Lara with her grandmother, the Nelson family with Duke and Sebastian and with the land and the cherries - on which this book is grounded. Just as the beauty of the land covers complicated societies, so too does Tom Lake beautifully bring the reader to a place where contentment covers more complex truths. Highly recommended.

Tom Lake is a beautifully written portrait of a woman sharing the story of her first love, a famous actor, with her three grown daughters during the pandemic. Ms. Patchett draws a vivid painting of Lara as a high school girl playing the role of Emily Webb in the Thornton Wilder's timeless play, Our Town. The readers falls in love with Lara as she embrace the role of "Emily" and goes on to play the role in summer stock and meets and has a romance with up and coming actor, Peter Duke. There are two timelines and the reader learns what became of these two very talented, young people and the impact that their relationship had on their futures. The book is captivating. Although, I wanted to savor the novel, I was compelled to keep reading it as I wanted to know how the novel ends. Ms. Patchett is an artist with words. Her descriptions are vivid; her characters are multi-dimensional "real" people. Tom Lake is five star novel that is meant to be read over and over again! Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Ann Patchett for the ARC!

A beautiful and moving novel, with Ann Patchett’s typical warmth and humor. I loved every second I spent with these characters.

Such a lovely family story that explores many iterations of love, from teenage to young adult to family to locale. The characters and the setting are both so well written that it was easy to be drawn into the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC to read and review.

Ann Patchett is an incredible writer, and Tom Lake is no exception. Her characters come alive so completely you think you've met them, perhaps at the supermarket or the movie theater. Maybe you went to college with one of them or lived next door. She has made them living breathing people, not just characters on the page. Lara and Tom live on a cherry farm in Michigan. All three of their adult daughters are home with them during the harvest because of the pandemic. To pass the time, the daughters ask their mother to tell them the story of the summer she dated a famous actor. This book is not about the pandemic, it is about family and it is a coming of age story. It is beautifully written and it will keep you interested despite no big mystery or earth shattering revelations. A simple but incredible story that you will treasure.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Books for an advance copy. My opinions are my own.

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors so I was completely thrilled to get an advance copy of her latest. This book did not disappoint!

It follows Lara as she tells her three grown daughters stories from her past as a former actress and a summer she spent in Tom Lake. It alternates between the present day timeline and her past and both storylines had me interested and engaged! The past storyline follows Lara as she dates Duke while they are performing the play Our Town. I have heard reading the play first will add some to the book but I didn’t read it before Tom Lake and was able to read it as a stand alone just fine. The present day storyline takes place during Covid and that is why all her grown daughters are home.

I just love Ann Patchett’s writing style- this book is just so well written. I swear the woman could write about paint drying and it would be interesting! But luckily this is a lovely story about family and looking back and being young. It is very reflective and I found a lot of parts were very insightful and hit home.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

Ann Patchett, the Pulitzer Prize Finalist for “The Dutch House,” returns with “Tom Lake” (Harper), her latest tale to grip the heart and soul. Lara Nelson and her husband, Joe, are the owners of a cherry farm in Northern Michigan, where they have hunkered down during the pandemic with their three adult daughters. The eldest, Emily, a horticulturist who will someday inherit the farm, Maisie, a veterinary student, and Nell, an aspiring actress, have returned home to escape the looming worldwide tragedy and help their parents harvest the crop.
The story ricochets between the summer of 1988, when Lara played the lead in the Tom Lake Theater’s production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Lara’s personal history, and the pandemic present. When she had been a teen, Lara had been discovered by a famous Hollywood director, and had starred in a cult movie to rave reviews. Her idyllic summer at Tom Lake was designed as an opportunity to improve her acting. However, Lara’s growth occurred both on and off the stage—the most significant event being her romance with another aspiring actor, Peter Duke. Lara narrates the story from her perspective as a middle age, married farmer, who is happy with her life choices. There are no open wounds to salve or regrets about the ill-fated affair with the charming, handsome, future Oscar-winning actor, or the life she could have led as an actress.
The girls have always known about her summer romance with Duke, and what better way to pass the time in the orchard than by interrogating their mother about the past? Lara has always been elusive about the affair’s details. Now in isolation, her daughters press her for the nitty-gritty details of her relationship with Duke, and Lara willingly obliges as they toil beneath the fruit-laden trees. Lara believes it will bring them all closer; resolve long-unanswered suspicions, and present valuable life lessons during these dark days.
In the present, Lara realizes she should grieve for the world’s suffering, but within her cherry farm’s cocoon, she is blissful. She is surrounded by her family and able to share her origin story. Her most prized possessions have always been the farm, her husband, and her daughters, and those priorities resonated clearly through her oral history. Peter Duke has always been a shadow hanging over their lives, but not negatively. Duke and his older brother, Sebastian, were two steps along the winding path leading to this time and place, picking the delicious fruit beside the family she loves.
As a reader, I was keenly familiar with those cherry orchards outside of Traverse City, Michigan. For several years during the early 2000s, my family lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, so the setting rang true. Also, Lara’s bliss over her family’s cohesiveness during the pandemic struck a similar chord, as mine gathered in our upstate New York home during the same time period. Usually, when your children flee the nest, it is unlikely they will return, but the coronavirus galvanized our little group under the most horrific of circumstances. Like Lara, my heart broke for the lost lives and souls, but it was truly a blessing to be surrounded by my adult children and their families during the catastrophe.
To prepare this review of “Tom Lake,” I listened to the audiobook version of interpreted by Meryl Streep. It was not a “reading” but any stretch of the imagination. Ms. Streep provided an exquisite, cozy performance that made me feel as if my best friend was revealing secrets about her life. While Ann Patchett possesses a flair for beautiful descriptions and storytelling, Ms. Streep enhanced the feelings of nostalgia for the past and satisfaction in the present. The combination of the two was compelling, mesmerizing.
“Tom Lake” is a reminder that we all have lives and secrets from before our children were born. Further, that those lives and loves impact the present in mysterious and unexpected ways. As with our pasts, “Tom Lake” is as bittersweet as a slice of fresh-out-of-the-oven cherry pie. Do not miss out on this delightful, yet wistful, slice of life.

Oh, I loved this.
Uncomplicated goodness. A story that isn’t good because it is genre-bending, but rather for it’s perfectly paced and well-told loveliness.
It held me while it was in my hands, and let me continue on with my life when it wasn’t.
This is a timeless story for anyone and everyone —about love and paths not taken, and being content with what you have.
Read it!

I have loved Ann Patchett since Bel Canto and she is always a go-to author for me. This is a lovely story within a story. Tom Lake is a theatre company that Lara belonged to when she was young. She had a friendship/relationship with an actor, who has since become a famous movie star. Her daughter ask her to share this story.. It's a tale of love for family, of past passions and people once loved, and their continuing influence on the present.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper for this e-arc.*