Tom Lake is a simple story, set against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is nothing big happening, a sudden tragedy or surprising plot twists, however, I absolutely loved it! Patchett has this way of writing like you are in the room with her, you are drawn into the story and you feel with the characters, cry and laugh with them, wanting to know more. An all-vibe-no-plot novel that can take your heart away.

The story is centred on Lara, a woman in her sixties, whom the pandemic isolates in her cherry farm, together with her husband, Joe, and her three daughters (Emily, Maisie, and Nell). It’s the summer of 2020, and we are on their orchard farm in Michigan. Despite the horrors happening in the world, the orchard has its own pace and needs, and moves in its own time: cherries need picking, animals need to be fed, and work needs to be done. Without any help, the family struggles to do the work on their own.

Without other forms of entertainment, the family uses one of the oldest forms of connecting: storytelling. We witness, thus, a story within the story, as Lara uncovers her past with her girls, sharing how she became an actress, her love story with a very famous actor, how she met her father, gave up acting and ended up owning a farm. 

The novel navigates between scenes from the present, where we learn how the family deals with their dynamics and the lingering effects of the pandemic, and the past, where a summer love affair unfolds in a small town, during a theatre production Lara was in. We get to know Lara, but also her family, her husband and his love for the orchard, and her daughter, each one with their passion (Emily wants to take over the orchard, Maisie learns to become a vet doctor, and Nell dreams of becoming an artist). Familial bonds are widened, tensed, and deepened throughout the summer, as they get to know and understand each other better, as each character comes to grips with their insecurities and vulnerabilities.

The writing of this book (the writing!) is gorgeous, lyrical and gentle, it slowly draws you in and makes you feel part of the story, capturing the bittersweet nostalgia of youth, but also the quiet wisdom that comes with age, which makes you appreciate your life and what it gave you, accept that the path not taken might not have been the better one for you. There is also a surprise (not in the thriller-surprise sense) toward the end that made my heart melt. For a book that is supposed to have no plot, it was quite powerful and engaging. I have read it in only two days and loved it. Thank you @definitely.books for the review copy!