November Bookclub Review

Tom Lake

After a little Bookclub break it was lovely to get back to it with Tom Lake, thank you to those who reached out after they read it! This “bookclub” might be small, well, tiny but it really means a lot to me when you read the chosen book, or if you’ve read it and join in conversation!

I’ve read a handful of Ann Patchett novels, The Dutch House being one of my favourite go to recommendations. I think she is a really great story teller both on paper and in interviews I’ve listened to. Tom Lake is her 14th publication. With all that fantastic reviews I saw everywhere I was so excited to chose this, I read on my kindle but I’ve heard that Meryl Streep narrated it on audible.

I’ll be super honest, we’re all friends here, but this wasn’t my favourite. It’s a well told story, sure, but I found it lacking and rather flat.

The story is set during the pandemic, the protagonist Lara is telling a story of her past to her 3 daughters during lockdown. Set at her home in northern Michigan on a cherry farm the 3 daughters have returned to help and be together during such a strange time. Lara tells the story by their request of her brief career as an actor in summer stock at Tom Lake (a place not a person) and her relationship to the now very famous Peter Duke.

Reading the synopsis I was convinced I was going to love it, being one of 3 sisters I presumed I would feel some kind of pull towards the daughters. However I found all the characters to be rather fictional and not very believable.

I think that the story was told well and the characters in the book I can picture and imagine exactly how Patchett wrote. but it didn’t feel real, I didn’t feel that I cared about any relationships. Whether that was the romantic one between Lara and Duke or her now husband or between her daughters. For me nothing quite jumped off the page.

I enjoyed following along Lara’s past and how she worked for a short period in showbiz before giving it all up and marrying a man and living on his family farm. There is a nice flow to the story, switching back and forth from past to present day. But I just felt it lacked any excitement or passion. The three sisters felt so fictional and their relationship with one another as well as with their mother just didn’t click for me.

Maybe I had read too many rave reviews and I expected too much? Maybe Covid novels just not my thing?

Anyway, I don’t think it will put me off reading more of hers in the past, she is a great story teller. I think this particular theatre novel just wasn’t my vibe. What did you think?

Now to choose the December pick! There are so many books I would like to read before the new year! As always if you have any suggestions or books you would like to be included please let me know!

December book club info to follow!