In her latest poignant family saga, Ann Patchett cements her stature as one of America’s finest contemporary authors.
It’s spring 2020 in Northern Michigan’s cherry orchards. As three sisters pick fruit, they implore their mother Lara to share her long-ago romance with Peter Duke, a famous actor she knew at the Tom Lake theater company.
Lara’s recollections spark her daughters to reexamine their relationship and the mysteries of their mother’s earlier life. Their journey forces them to reconsider everything they thought they knew.
Tom Lake meditates on youthful love, married love, and the untold histories parents amass before having children. This hopeful yet wistful tale explores finding happiness even as the world unravels.
With profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, Patchett combines compelling storytelling and piercing family insights. The luminous result demonstrates why she’s one of today’s most revered literary talents.
