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cover
3.5 

Title: Tom Lake
Authors: Patchett, Ann
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 309
Year: 2023
Language: English
Description: Home together in Northern Michigan courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic, Joe and Lara Nelson and their three adult daughters are picking their orchard's cherry crop, providing the perfect opportunity for the girls to quiz their mother about her youthful romance with a man who became a famous actor. Moving between the present day and 1984, when Lara shared a stage with Duke during a summer production of the Thornton Wilder play Our Town, this is the story of a woman reflecting on her past and exposing a family myth to the full light of day.

Multilayered and compelling, this family drama evokes Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, and convincingly portrays the beauty of an ordinary life.

Categories: Fiction, Literary, The Arts, Relationships, USA, America, 2025 Titles

Reviews

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By: TAUR 004 2025-07-09 10:08:36
2.5 
Beautifully written, but a bit drawn out and boring! We were surprised it was set in Covid lockdown, as it seemed rather old fashioned.

By: WHANG 018 2025-06-23 11:46:48
4 
Most enjoyed this book - a "light, meandering read".

By: WHAKA 021 2025-06-05 14:41:30
2 
The story seemed good but the telling not so good. Two members did not read it through.

By: INVER 001 2025-03-19 14:15:35
5 
Several of our group had already read this book but were more than happy to read it again. Love Ann Patchett's writing style and the way she brings her characters to life.

By: MOTUE 003 2024-12-05 09:57:34
3 
A wide range of opinions on this book - some loved the 'novel' way of telling a story. Others found it boring and the characters difficult to really 'know'.

By: WESTO 001 2024-10-23 09:14:33
3.5 
All but two members enjoyed this book. Some felt is was slow to get into but once we did were invested in characters and outcomes. it is a story about ordinary life and the decisions we make that set us on one path or another.

By: HAMIL 018 2024-09-24 11:31:07
3.5 
We all love Ann Patchett although not so much this book, but it did bring about a long discussion deciding how much of your "previous" life you share with your children and what impact those revelations may have.

 
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