In the novel Tom Lake, releasing on August 8, Ann Patchett tells a tale of a cherry farm family in the time of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. Lara and Joe’s three daughters have sought sanctuary on their North Michigan farm.

Since many of their usual cherry pickers are confined to where they live, Lara and Joe appreciate the help from Emily, Maisie, and Nell. As they pick cherries, Lara tells them the story of her turn as an actress, her experience in summer stock at Tom Lake, and her romance with famous actor Peter Duke.

Having heard bits and pieces all their lives, Emily once was positive Duke had been her father. Now she lives in the small house on the farm after finishing her degree in horticulture, planning to take over the farm when her parents retire. Her boyfriend Benny from the neighboring farm also pitches in even though there is plenty of apple picking to be done in his orchard.

Both Maisie and Nell returned for the safety of their farm when their colleges closed in March. Maisie is studying to be a veterinarian, and in the quarantine, she is called upon among her neighbors to care for their stock and their pets. Nell pursues drama, hoping to be an actress like her mother once was.

Told on two timelines, the author reveals the account of a young Lara and Duke, who meet doing Our Town in summer stock. Lara played the role of Emily in high school and college making her a natural choice when the original actress leaves for a better opportunity. In the pandemic story line, readers learn about the family dynamics of farm families, especially this close-knit family.

Lara keeps part of her story as an actress having a romance on set a secret from even her husband. Otherwise, Joe knows most of the story, helping to tell it here and there. The daughters gain much insight into a time in the couple’s life before their birth in this engaging narrative that only hints at the pandemic here and there. In a surprise visit from someone in her acting past, a big reveal is made to Lara in the ending of the novel.

Ann Patchett’s Dutch House was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Born in Los Angeles, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, as a child and continues to live there where she and a partner own Parnassus Books, an independent bookstore.