Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Tom Lake

This book is about so many things I can’t put my finger on just one. It’s about young love and careers that don’t pan out and the choices we make, and learning about the people our parents were before they were parents. It’s so good!

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burnyayhayley's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book is absolutely stunning. Beautifully crafted prose, sharp and clear while still being soft and gentle in many places. I feel like people largely felt that pandemic books would feel weird to read so soon during or after the actual pandemic, but this one felt comforting, and managed to make the absolute most of an imperfect situation. Everything about this story felt so absolutely genuine and real.
Also, whoever thought of Meryl Streep for the audiobook is a GENIUS and I hope they are well paid and thanked for their work. Meryl was fucking spectacular. I could listen to her read all day.
I guess this makes Ann Patchett a solid hitter for me, as I don't think I have given her anything but 5 stars on her work. Would highly recommend.

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machenn's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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pomoevareads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

What better time to reminisce about your mother having dated a movie star back in the day then during a season of cherry picking in an orchard during a pandemic when the whole family is sequestering themselves from the public.

My ninth book by this author, I can always count on Patchett to write with such careful prose and to create beautiful characters. Tom Lake is told from the perspective of Lara as she tells her three daughters about her summer playing Emily in the summer stock presentation of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Drawing out the story to begin with her first performance as Emily, a character who marries a neighbourhood boy in the play, and then through her foray into Hollywood and moving to New Hampshire to play Emily at the Tom Lake theatre and her summer in love there and then from there to how she ended up living at the orchard, Lara’s innermost thoughts and feelings are open to the reader.

This is a quiet novel with slow pacing and may not endear itself to those who wish some drama. This is a book for lovers of literary fiction.

I am most glad that I took the short time to read Wilder’s play before embarking on this book as it enriched the experience greatly.

I am giving this book a solid four stars. My only reason for it not being five stars is because I felt like a choice that Duke makes after seeing a place once didn’t make complete sense to me. As well, Lara’s choice of life partner seemed a matter of convenience rather than deep love. I am hoping I have given just enough away for those who have read the book to understand what I mean by that but no more.

Will I continue to work on completing the reading of all of Ann Patchett’s books? Certainly!

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allisonstockslager's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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