Tom Lake Review

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake (4.25/5 stars) had me wanting to Google the characters constantly because I was so convinced they were real people. That’s how immersive this story is—and how flawless Ann Patchett’s storytelling can be when she’s at the top of her game.

I chose this book because my Aunt Sherry recommended listening to the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep, and I can confidently say there is only one correct way to experience Tom Lake: let Meryl Streep read it to you. Trust me on this.

The story centers on Lara Nelson, who spends the summer of COVID on her family’s cherry farm with her husband, Joe, and their three adult daughters—Emily, Maisie, and Nell, each with distinctly different personalities. As they pass long days picking cherries, Lara tells her daughters the story of her younger years, particularly the summer she spent at a place called Tom Lake while dating the now-famous actor Peter Duke. What unfolds is a quiet, reflective story about love, memory, and the lives we almost lived—right up until a reveal near the end that absolutely floored me.

The storytelling here is nothing short of exquisite. When you walk away from a book feeling like the characters truly exist somewhere outside its pages, you know you’ve read something special. Patchett’s attention to detail and emotional restraint makes the story feel intimate and deeply personal, like being trusted with someone’s memories rather than simply reading them.

The narrative moves between multiple timelines, which occasionally caused a brief moment of confusion when picking the book back up—but never enough to pull me out of the story. Lara’s character evolves significantly as the layers of her life are revealed, which feels natural given that this is, in many ways, a reflection on an entire lifetime. I did find myself wishing for more development of Joe’s character; we see him mostly in fragments, more as a steady presence than a fully explored individual. Peter Duke, too, felt intentionally one-dimensional—large in impact, but not in depth—which I suspect was entirely purposeful.

A few quotes that stayed with me long after finishing the book:

“There is no explaining this simple truth about life: you will forget much of it.”

“Memories are then replaced by different joys and larger sorrows, and unbelievably, those things get knocked aside as well, until one morning you’re picking cherries with your three grown daughters and your husband goes by on a Gator and you are positive that this is all you’ve ever wanted in the world.”

I gave Tom Lake 4.25 stars, and my few complaints are honestly selfish ones—I just wanted more. More time, more moments, more life inside this story. That longing is proof of just how good it is.

This book deserves a permanent place in my top 10, without question. I haven’t stopped recommending it since I finished, and I doubt I ever will.