Book Club: Tom Lake

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Where do I begin. Well, first, Ann Patchett is a renowned writer. I’ll read anything she writes. To make this book even better, the Queen herself, Meryl Streep, narrates the audio version. I adore a good audio book and Meryl Streep did not disappoint. (PS: if you’re on a walk or emptying the dishwasher, press play above and I’ll narrate this for you).

Despite these two facts, I initialy had trouble getting into the story. I wanted it to grab my attention. I think this is because I’m a regular reader of thrillers and mysteries that hook me a million different ways within the first few pages. Tom Lake was not like that. To understand the arch of this story and the complex intricacies of its characters, you have to know the extensive backstories of each. (If you’re in the early pages of this book, just know — it’s worth continuing).

Tom Lake follows the story of Laura (the main character) from her days in high school to her days as a fifty-seven-year-old married mother of three adult daughters. As she retells the stories of her youth to her now-grown daughters, a few themes emerge: how life could be so different if one small choice was made differently, the beauty of noticing the details that surround us at any given time, and — most fascinating to me — how a woman can love two men in her lifetime… and for very, very different reasons that are all very much a part of who she is.