Tom Lake: A Novel

by Ann Patchett

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Book Overview: Tom Lake: A Novel

In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

“Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.” —The Guardian

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

ISBN-13	9780063327528
ISBN-10	006332752X
Publisher	Harper
Publication Date	2023
Edition	N/a
Language	en
Pages	320
Dimensions	in x in x in
Weight	lbs

Editorial Reviews

"Patchett's intricate and subtle thematic web…enfolds the nature of storytelling, the evolving dynamics of a family, and the complex interaction between destiny and choice….These braided strands culminate in a denouement at once deeply sad and tenderly life-affirming. Poignant and reflective, cementing Patchett's stature as one of our finest novelists." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"As this spellbinding and incisive novel unspools, Patchett brings every turn of mind and every setting to glorious, vibrant life, gracefully contrasting the dazzle of the ephemeral with the gravitas of the timeless, perceiving in cherries sweet and tart reflections of love and loss." — Booklist (starred review)

"Patchett is at the top of her game." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A swoony, luminous reminder about the endurance of love and happiness in a broken world." — Oprah Daily

"A compelling narrative about the secret lives of parents–and how to find happiness in the midst of a long life." — Time

"One of our greatest living chroniclers of love and marriage–and its resounding impacts over generations–is back this summer … Expect wonder; Patchett always delivers." — Elle

"Who is better, more nuanced, or more surprising on matters of love and family than Patchett?….[a] heady voyage into the past, with a delicately observed story that is also constantly shifting the ground beneath our feet." — Literary Hub

"Fans of The Dutch House and Commonwealth will be more than satisfied with Ann Patchett's latest novelistic exploration of love and family dynamics." — Harper's Bazaar

"Patchett, beloved bookseller and chronicler of people thrown together in patched families and hostage situations, turns her attention to love — youthful, marital, fleeting, enduring." — NPR

"Patchett masterfully weaves an evocative story of love, hope, and familial bonds, offering a profound meditation on finding happiness amid life's uncertainties." — BookBub

"Ahh…Ann Patchett has a new read and we couldn't be happier….It's cozy, and feel-good, and we recommend reading with a bowl of cherries." — The Skimm

About the Author

Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is an acclaimed American novelist and essayist, celebrated for her richly immersive storytelling and intricate character development. Born on December 2, 1963 in Los Angeles, California, Patchett moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in her early childhood. After graduating with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, she completed her MFA in Creative Writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her journey as a writer began as a magazine freelancer and adjunct professor, but she soon established her reputation as a respected author with her debut novel “The Patron Saint of Liars.”

Over the years, Patchett’s body of work has magnificently expanded, encompassing both fiction and nonfiction genres. Some of her notable works include “Bel Canto,” awarded the Orange Prize for Fiction and PEN/Faulkner Award, and “State of Wonder,” which earned her the Wellcome Book Prize. Moreover, Patchett’s skill doesn’t stop at novels. Her essay collection “This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage” demonstrates her ability to perceive and narrate the beauty and complexity of everyday life.

In addition to her writing, Patchett is a dedicated advocate for literary culture. Utterly committed to the world of books, in 2011 she opened an independent bookstore, Parnassus Books, in Nashville. Ann Patchett continues to impart her love for literature, whether through the written word or her endeavors enriching her local literary community. Her creativity and storytelling mastery have not only earned her significant literary awards but have also imprinted her name in the hearts of avid readers worldwide.