📚 Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I can say that I've fallen completely in love with my 'official' first book of 2024.

I fell in love with the family's cherry orchard (made me remember that play by Anton Chekhov that I think has the same title)

Somehow I even fell in love Covid quarantine or perhaps became a bit more nostalgic about it--because this was what they were doing, apparently. This was the primary setting of the story.

I fell in love with Duke--almost as much as Lara did.

I fell in love with the lake, Tom Lake. The theater. The lake. Everything.

I think I might have fallen for Meryl Streep, too. Her performance on the audiobook was impeccable. Award-winning. Is there an award for audiobook readings? (Apparently, there is. It's called the "Audies"---this got nominated but did not win. What a shame.)

It was a truly lovely story.

I fell in love with all of Lara's daughters and how Meryl was able to voice them in different ways so that I can tell who was who. Amazing.

The whole story felt like, I'm imagining life in a cherry orchard; calm, peaceful, and slow.

Somewhat an opposite of the life of their favorite subject, Duke, a Hollywood movie star.

I fell in love with my role as the listener/reader that didn't feel the need to overanalyze anything or to figure out if something seems more than what it could be....I love that I was just there finding everything out as it was being told---almost like one of Lara's daughters. 

Just me, living for the next day, for the next chapter in the story.

Tom Lake was exciting and entertaining but turned even more, for me, as a respite....from, I guess, just life in general.

A 5 out of 5 stars read and a definite 'yes' to more Ann Patchett in the future❤️