Tom Lake
Ratings156
Average rating4
I was so bored. The protagonist is a former movie star and she's telling her 3 daughters about her life when she was famous. They live and work on their orchard in Michigan? And the author tries to leave little breadcrumbs to get the reader curious but I'm just so bored, not engaged, and I just don't care about this actresses past. DNF.
My weekend project, done a day early b/c this went down easy from the start. A good story that didn't present, for me, any ethical dilemmas or entanglements to slow things down. Well written.
This was a very relaxing and fun read. I loved the plot and all the characters. The setting was the cherry on top.
A book about a summer romance with a movie star, which jumps between that summer and 30 years later when the woman, now a mother, narrates the story to her grown daughters. The romance is a bit more towards nostalgia and melancholy than romcom.
I don't know what it is about the book, like it's just straight fiction but it really gripped me? I think also the jumps between the two time periods lets the mother to reflect on her naivety at the time and also to see the story from her daughters' perspectives.
Originally posted at www.emgoto.com.
I have never been so disappointed by a book. So much praise about an author that, at least for this book, seems to give up after page 50. The primes seemed interesting but the execution was weird. Interestingly, the book seemed really nice up to 40% length. After that, it seems that the author gives up or simply doesn't know anymore what to say about this story. Also the style deteriorates after the first half of the book, reaching terribile peaks of triavilty. Not only that, but the story is never fully developed. Should I really believe that Lara's is so so happy with John , as she likes to repeat 100 times during the book, if her own world and memories seems to be completely stuck in that summer? She even called one of her daughter Emily (another stupid cliche).
I found it overall just a blah story. I especially didn’t get or engage with Duke. I didn’t get her desire for him. Her descriptions of him weren’t particularly sexy or juicy. He seemed to treat her more like an object or he was neglectful and selfish. He was a bad influence on her. Not sure what she liked about him. He wasn’t likable. She described the scenery beautifully. The family characters were boring or whiny. Joe had absolutely no personality. I’d skip it if you’re considering reading this. It’s overhyped, probably because she has other books that are great, and because Meryl Streep is narrating the audio version.
Magical, gently stunning. Patchett created a whole world of characters and places for me to fall in love with. I would have loved it anyway, but Meryl Streep's narration was just the cherry on top. A must listen.
This is a book that I expect to return to again and again as I age, appreciating and understanding more as each decade passes. It made me feel nostalgic for a story I was hearing for the first time (on top of feeling nostalgic for my own life stories), and there is so much tenderness in the story telling that is only accentuated by Meryl Streeps beautiful narration! I was listening to this with my leftover hours on Spotify after finishing our pick for book club each month, and each time I ran out of hours I was VERY tempted to purchase more hours so I could keep listening. I could sit amongst those cherry trees forever. Highly recommend, especially for Spring/Summer reading!
It felt pleasant but not consequential until almost 2/3 of the way through, but once the story reveals itself it is a masterpiece.
I was reluctant at first because this doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy but boy was it beautiful— maybe I'll go read Thornton wilder now,,, I feel like it'd be right
Listened to the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep. The story was extraordinarily fascinating or captivating on its own, but Meryl Streep’s narration was so fantastic, it carried the entire story! This is the story of a mother recounting her teenage summer when she acted in theatre and was so close to making it as a famous movie star, and how she dated someone who later turned out to be a Hollywood superstar. The story keeps us engaged, and the author takes us between different time periods, when Lara was her teenage self, and when she has grown up and is an elderly mother of three women. It explores the relationship between all characters, friends, lovers, daughters alike. Although, I feel like the story would have had a more complete feel to it if Duke’s point of view was included as well. We can all agree Duke was a jerk, but it would have been good to hear what he thought of his actions. 5/5 stars for Meryl Streep’s narration, and 4/5 stars for the story.
3.5 - The writing in this novel is really well-done. It was a pleasant read, but I didn't find the plot particularly gripping. It's more of a cozy family drama, though not heavy on the drama. Lara, the main character, shares her past as an actress with her daughters, focusing on the summer she fell in love with someone who later became a famous actor. Reading this book was like taking a leisurely stroll through the park on a sunny day - enjoyable, but not super memorable.
Honestly, if I judged this book by its cover, I probably wouldn't have picked it up or had any clue what it was about. But I'm glad I got it as a gift because it was worth reading. Even looking at the cover now, it still doesn't seem to match the story, but somehow it captures the essence of reading the book.
I love and Patchett this book, took me a little bit longer to get into than the Dutch House or Commonwealth, but I ended up really falling into the characters and the story. I thought it was so interesting that the story took place during Covid . I normally don't like those kind of storylines because they take me out of the world, but I think it really worked in her favor. The line that sticks with me the most was the stories of happy marriages are never as good of stories of love affairs with movie stars.
I'll remember scenes from this book for a long time. And a big part of that is due to Meryl Streep because she narrated the heck out of this book. It was amazing. It was entrancing. Now I want to visit Michigan and see as many cherry trees as possible.
This is a trad wife manifesto railing against the godless liberals that dominate the entertainment ecosystem. It's about celebrating the pure sanctity of hetero marriage prevailing over Hollywood hedonism. Let's make America great again through ambitious procreation and relying on good old fashion American born labour, instead of foreign migrant workers. This may be set North of Richmond, but it's truly a harkening to the days of cherry trees, George Washington, and “I can't tell a lie.” This book bleeds red, white, and blue.
I mean.
This is a cozy, Covid-era story filled with warmth and love. The Nelson kids have all returned home during lockdown and are passing the time as the cherry harvest comes in. Their mother Lara indulges in some sun dappled reminiscing of a summer in 1988 down at Tom Lake when she is part of a young theatre troupe putting on a production of Our Town. It is there she first meets Peter Duke who would go on to massive Hollywood fame. Over the course of several days she will share her story, if only to convince her incredulous kids that there's no place she'd rather be than right here, picking cherries on the family farm.
Think of it as bi-partisan literary fiction. I loved it either way.
Look mom!! I finally read an Ann Patchett book.
This was a beautiful story of a woman who could have been famous but chose a quieter life she was immensely happy with. I loved sinking into the feeling of her story as she told it to her daughters in first person through memories. Lots of nuance and musing without sounding forced or preachy and balanced with the “showing” we cant help but hear about as writers.. I feel like that probably takes a lot of skill.
🥱 I give Ann Patchett some stars because her prose is beautiful, but this book had no plot. After reading 25% of it I called it quits. It reins true to what it is, an average story told by a mother to her children to pass the time.
Reading this book was such a relaxing, pleasant experience. The writing is so smooth and beautiful, and the storytelling is top notch. This is my first Ann Patchett read, but I feel like it will not be the last.
Lara is the book's main character who tells her three daughters the story of her summer fling with a famous actor, Peter Duke. Her family is stuck on their cherry farm during the Covid pandemic lockdown, so they spend their time picking cherries and telling stories. The daughters are obviously fascinated to learn more about their mother's acting experience and her love affair with Duke. Through her story, Lara reveals some unexpected truths that impact her daughters' opinions of her and their beloved actor.
The story unfolds at a slow, but engaging pace. Patchett takes her time describing people and places in a way that places the reader into the events, yet the story never lags. I kept wanting to continue to the next chapter because the storytelling was so good. It felt like I was one of the daughters listening to the story in the cherry orchard.
While the story Lara tells is about her past relationship with a man, the book is really about her current relationships and how she has reached this point in her life. I enjoyed the dynamic between her and her daughters as well as her relationship with her husband. There are a few moments in the present timeline that connect back to Peter Duke, but the story is not about him.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and give it 4.5 stars. The writing is so easy to read and the pace is perfect. While it does not delve into complex or provocative themes, it does tell a beautiful story. And that is enough.
I wish I had listened to the audiobook of this instead of reading it. After reading other reviews, it seems like I would have enjoyed that more.