The prolific author Ann Patchett paints a tender portrait of a caring woman, her close-knit family, and the dazzling stories of her past in this reflective, heart-rending, and captivating novel. Before Lara lived in a Northern Michigan orchard with her loving husband and three daughters, she was an actress destined for stardom. She even dated a famous movie star, the dashing Peter Duke—a piece of Lara’s past that her daughters (the delightfully distinct Emily, Maisie, and Nell, now in their 20s) obsess over. From her first audition in her small New Hampshire hometown to her time spent in New York, Los Angeles, and a summer-stock theater in Michigan called Tom Lake, Lara recounts her life to her children during a hot summer in the midst of the pandemic. But as Lara’s past reveals dark truths about the present, the overlapping realities of “then” versus “now” create an incredibly poignant and completely unputdownable tale. If you’re looking for a breathtaking—and heartbreaking—take on love, family, and fate, look no further than Tom Lake.
