My 2024 New Years resolution, as it happens to be every year, is to read more. To start my “new year, new me” challenge, I recently finished Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake, a meditative, slow-burn novel characterized by Patchett’s evocative prose and complex character relationships. Interestingly, the novel lacked the typical aspects that lead me to most of my 5-star reviews: cliff-hangers, steamy romance, plot twists, and whatnot. As I reflected on the 300 pages of literary wonder, I was brought to question what about this novel captivated me so much. I finished Tom Lake itching for more; but why, exactly?
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The novel follows Lara Kenison as she reminisces on her young love with now-famous-actor Peter Duke to her three daughters upon their return home to Michigan during the pandemic. As Lara recounts her relationship with Duke, each of Lara’s daughters are invited to explore their own relationships, which they do while simultaneously unraveling their mother’s story.
Now, Tom Lake is not a hefty piece of literature, as I might dare describe War and Peace. Rather, Patchett’s words are elegant and clear, conveying emotions in a straightforward, yet beautiful, way. The novel reads simply, each scene laid out in a thoughtful exploration of emotions and connection: young Lara meeting Duke, the three daughters sitting listening to their mother’s story, how Lara met her current husband, and so forth. Lara’s story continues through the entirety of the novel, a deliberate pacing choice by Patchett, allowing the narrative to unfold gradually. Not only did I have the time and space to fully absorb the intricacies of the plot and characters, but I was also able to reflect on my own experiences and relationships.
One of Patchett’s strengths that I’ve noticed, having read several of her novels now, is the ability to develop deep and nuanced characters. Tom Lake revolves around the relationships of Lara and her family, and Lara and Duke, delving into the complexities of each of these human connections and providing rich tapestries of their interpersonal dynamics. While hearing their mother’s wistful recollection of her past, Lara’s daughters learn about the woman their mother was before motherhood. The idea that people can be different versions of themselves is very apparent in the dichotomy of Lara, as she goes from smoking cigarettes and spending time with Duke at Tom Lake, the theater company where they met, to raising three daughters and worrying about the next cherry harvest. As each layer of Lara’s story is revealed, her daughters come to the realization that they never truly knew who their mother was, only that at some point in her life she dated a now-famous actor. Further, each of the three daughters has a different perspective on Lara’s romance with Duke, shedding light on each of their distinct personalities.
The novel conveys the simple message that sometimes things don’t always go as they planned: your summer-fling might turn into a famous actor someday, and also, the world might be thrown into a global pandemic at any moment, forcing you to return back to your childhood home. While some criticize Patchett’s novel for being slow and boring, to me Tom Lake was a wonderful attestation of learning how to be in the present while appreciating the past. Lara’s wistful recollection of her past accentuates the woman she could have been had life taken a different route, a life full of Hollywood actors, red carpets, and glamor. But, as the novel continues, Lara admits to her daughters that her life on a cherry farm in Michigan with her husband and three daughters is all she has ever wanted. Lara acknowledges that this life, this life right here, is the one she is supposed to have, much to the dismay of her daughters who balked at the idea of giving up the Hollywood life.
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Tom Lake is a simple story. It is a story of love and family and the paths of life. What made Tom Lake earn a 5-star review from me was the deep connection I felt toward the characters, the understanding of how the pandemic brought families together in previously unimaginable ways, and the ability of which I could relate the prose to my own life. Tom Lake is not just a story of love and appreciation; it is an invitation for readers to appreciate the simple joys of life, as Lara has mastered so wonderfully.