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    Tom Lake: A Novel
    Tom Lake: A Novel
    Tom Lake: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Tom Lake: A Novel

    Written by Ann Patchett

    Narrated by Meryl Streep

    4.5/5

    ()

    • Self-Discovery

    • Theater & Acting

    • Family

    • Friendship

    • Love & Relationships

    • Love Triangle

    • Family Secrets

    • Small Town Life

    • Fish Out of Water

    • Star-Crossed Lovers

    • Prodigal Son

    • Second Chances

    • Childhood Friends

    • Returning Home

    • Small-Town Life

    • Family Relationships

    • Michigan

    • Summer

    • Relationships

    • Farm Life

    About this audiobook

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • READ BY MERYL STREEP

    In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

    “Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.” —The Guardian

    In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

    Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

    Editor's Note

    Iconic literary talent…

    At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lara’s three adult daughters return to the family cherry farm to quarantine. Lara fills the long hours by sharing stories of her early adulthood, when she had a brief acting career and a whirlwind romance with a rising film star. Patchett (“The Dutch House,” “Commonwealth”) solidifies her reputation as one of the best literary talents of the century by lacing beauty and meaning into every strand of a dual-timeline story. The iconic Meryl Streep narrates this ode to family, destiny, and life before parenthood.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateAug 1, 2023
    ISBN9780063327559
    Tom Lake: A Novel
    Author

    Ann Patchett

    Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.

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    Reviews for Tom Lake

    4.5/5

    2,013 ratings118 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a beautiful and beautifully written book, with engaging characters and a well-told story. The narration by Meryl Streep is excellent and adds depth to the characters. While some found it slow at times, overall it was an enjoyable and evocative read. The book explores themes of love, family, and memory, and leaves readers feeling warm and cozy. Many readers hope for a movie adaptation. Overall, this book is highly recommended and will stay with readers for years.

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Such a lovey story!! Perfectly narrated. I loved the relationships and the nostalgia.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      What can be better than Meryl Streep reading a “can’t put it down book”. I simply could not put it down.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a book this much. Both the story and the incredible performance by Meryl Streep were fantastic. The story was so relatable to me and my life in so many ways. I didn’t want it to end. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and, not surprisingly, Streeps interpretation was the best I’ve ever heard.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      What an amazing book, read by an incredible actress. A totally engaging story, wonderful characters, and great human interest.
    • 1/5
      So boring. Meryl was great but the book..snoozefest.... just not for me
    • 2/5
      This was my third Patchett book and the one I enjoyed least. Neither the past nor the present story interested me very much and just when I was settling into the story, the narration switch timelines. I am a big Meryl Streep fan but her reading further slowest down the story, so the only way to get through the book was to listen to it at x 1.5 speed. In other reviews I heard that there was mention of abortion in one of the last chapters- frankly it didn’t even register with me as I had completely lost interest in the story and just wanted to finish the book. For first time Ann Patchett readers I would rather recommend The dutch House or Magicians assistent.
    • 4/5
      I need Meryl Streep to narrate my life. That way, I might I actually be pay attention.
      Beautiful book, got a little lost towards the end, but overall, very soothing.
    • 5/5
      Story held my attention and I was sad when it ended; however I enjoyed the ending that brought closure. And I’m to another Ann Patchett book!❤️
    • 5/5
      A most beautiful novel brought to life by the most beautiful voice of Meryl Streep and her unparalleled artistry. I loved it and didn’t want it to end.
    • 4/5
      This was a unique love story about family,young love,long term love and love of place.It is no Dutch House,but still a delightful read.
    • 5/5
      I could not stray from this story. It pulled me like the tide from the shallows of youth to the depths of enduring love. It swallowed me whole.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful. The story of one woman's life. Her growth, loves and family.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful book. Liric, soft, delicate and warmhearted. Pure enjoyment. Also the reading is as excuisite as it can be.
    • 1/5
      Very slow and not interesting story line or characters. I honestly never thought I'd say these words but....I didn't like Meryl Streep...I though her narration was overacted.
    • 5/5
      Perfect summer book. Relaxing, cool, and beautiful like the lake it takes place around
    • 5/5
      A good book elevated to stellar levels by the incredible narration of Meryl Streep. The first half of the book gave the illusion of a light, meandering story that wasn’t sure where to go. but as the tale went on, it gained both intensity and clarity that made it hard to put down.
    • 5/5
      Easily the best book I've read this year. I now want to drop everything to live out the rest of my days on a cherry farm in Michigan.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful novel, beautifully narrated. Meryl Streep was such a great choice for this book.
    • 3/5
      Beautifully read by Meryl! Lovely story but slow and downright boring at times.
    • 5/5
      Almost like a modern version of Gone with the Wind. I can see Streep play the role if it ever gets adapted into a movie.
    • 5/5
      So many memories, told in such a wonderful way. I especially loved the narrators beautiful voice.
    • 5/5
      This beautifully written novel will always be a treasure to me. I don't want to give away anything, but it is a truly heartwarming love story- well told. Not sappy and predictable.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book, but I’m from Michigan and it’s where the story takes place. I was also thrilled because Meryl Streep is an amazing actress of course, but she can read a book! Sometimes you need that book like this that’s nice and calming. Just a good story. This was that for me.
    • 5/5
      The book is great but made even better with Meryl Streep’s lovely voice.
    • 3/5
      The writing is spectacular, but the entire premise I did not care for. I thought Duke was a POS.
    • 4/5
      Meryl Streep did an A+ job with this audiobook. Definitely recommend!
    • 5/5
      It was a delight hearing Meryl Streep‘s voice. Characters were too good to be true. No speck of jealousy or hatred.
    • 2/5
      I enjoyed the visuals surrounding the peaceful farm and lake, but overall, it was quite monotonous and boring. I just felt like I was wasting time listening to this for some reason. I wish she’d have just married Sebastian instead of dancing around the idea that she loved him. It seemed like her husband was just a boring guy she happened to end up with…to her anyway.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful story and Meryl Streep made it even more wonderful
    • 5/5
      Such a poetically told story
      I saw the lake
      The orchard…
      And Meryl Streep - how will i live without her voice in my eat now? It was a spectacular performance.