Tom Lake

Bookseller recommendation

“This is a heartwarming story, about likeable people, who figured out what was important in life and chose not glitter but substance. A lovely story.”

— Deon • Sunriver Books & Music

Bookseller recommendation

“This beautiful story takes place during the pandemic, and during this time Lara's three daughters have returned home to the family farm. Lara begins telling her life story and her daughters' story weaves throughout. Beautifully written and Meryl Streep is a fantastic narrator. I loved this beautiful story! ”

— Dani • Bright Side Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“I just finished listening to Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and I cannot say enough good things about this book! How I have not discovered Ann Patchett before, I will never know, but this book had me in so many feelings over the past 10 days. Set during the pandemic on a Michigan cherry farm, the family is working hard picking cherries and keeping the farm going during unprecedented times. As they work, the 3 adult daughters ask their mom to tell them the story of the famous movie star that she shared the stage and a relationship with back in her youth. Meryl Streep brings the characters to life and I felt like I was picking cherries right there with them, a part of the family. I felt nostalgia for a life that I never lived, for the life my own mother lived before me, and for my life before my daughter and how her understanding of me will change as she grows. I felt like I was the daughter, coming to the realization of the humanity of my parents in a way kids don't really understand themselves until they are older. If felt like I was the mother who lived, loved, lost, learned, and grew before my own daughter was born. I wanted to call up my mom and propose we go pick cherries so she can tell me about her young adult life and I could understand her soul the way I understood Lara's.”

— Jean • Books on Main

Bookseller recommendation

“I finished listening to Tom Lake. I can see why it’s at the top of the best seller list. Ann Patchett has a way of weaving so much into a straightforward story. Set during the pandemic, Lara’s three adult daughters have returned to the family’s cherry orchard in Michigan to quarantine and harvest the fruit. Lara entertains them by sharing the story of her acting career and brief relationship with a man who went on to be a movie star. I still prefer her essays and Bel Canto, but this story is quite enjoyable. ”

— Amy • A Great Good Place for Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Tom Lake was such a beautiful journey of a book! We're in the Summer of 2020 in a family farm in Michigan, where Lara tells stories of her youth to her three daughters, who desperately want to know about their mom's love affair with a famous actor. So we're also in the late 80s, travelling with Lara around New Hampshire, Los Angeles, New York, and mostly Michigan where she spends a summer acting in a play at Tom Lake. It's a summer of work, friendship, love and betrayals, during which Lara learned a lot and grew more and more into adulthood. Tom Lake is a soothing novel, where love in its various forms is beautifully depicted, and where life ends up making sense despite all the chaos it sometimes feels like. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep, and what a joy it has been! Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC! ”

— Marie • Emma's Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“This story takes place in Michigan, which is always a bonus for me as a reader. The setting is during the pandemic but revolves around Lara's early life as an actress and her relationship with a man who later becomes a famous actor. Lara is retelling that experience in small doses to her three daughters. It is a story about relationships, disappointments, and the blessings of a good marriage. I listened to this story as an audiobook and what could be better than a story by Ann Patchett read by Meryl Streep?”

— Paula • Schuler Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Does anyone *need* to be encouraged to listen to Meryl Streep read Ann Patchett? Probably not. But Streep, you’ll be unsurprised to hear, does a magnificent job with the nostalgia, the nuance and the Our Town of it all, bringing Patchett’s vivid past-and-present story to unforgettable life. ”

— Abby • Booked

Bookseller recommendation

“Patchett’s new one soars. A cherry farmer’s daughters pester her about a time in her youth when she acted on screen in Hollywood and on stage at the dreamy Tom Lake resort. Mom holds her secrets close, but gradually reveals the mysterious details of her relationship with the famous, super star actor, Peter Duke. Vivid flashbacks, intriguing reveals and scrumptious settings make it an extra good read! ”

— Patience • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“With its vivid descriptions of lake swimming, cherry picking fruit trees and orchards, it makes a fine spring or summer read. Both a coming of age and an “of age” story deftly pieced together, and told all at once. A book about finding out who you are, the right and wrong turns that help you determine what you value, and then living with the choices you make. Unforgettable characters, whose experiences and wisdom (or lack of it) stick with you long after the last page. ”

— Matthew • The Common Good

Bookseller recommendation

“This book is perfectly read by Meryl Streep!”

— Kelly • Beyond Words Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“Not only is this a phenomenal book of generational story telling, but MERYL STREEP IS NARRATING!!! She brings the characters to life. From her laugh to her tone; her character as Lara is spot on. She is engaging and motherly but keeps secrets to herself. This book transforms you to the essence of Traverse City, Michigan with the breeziness and humility of a true Northerner. Even the father, who has a small part in the novel is brought to life, I absolutely adored him. Looking for the perfect read to listen to in a hammock...this is the one! ”

— Amy • Plumfield Books

Bookseller recommendation

“The audiobook is perhaps one of the best I've listened to in a while. Meryl Streep is the *perfect* narrator because you feel like she is telling her own story, had it gone slightly differently (young actress, three daughters). Savored every second of it.”

— Kimi • Buttonwood Books and Toys