TOM LAKE

Meryl’s Streep’s captivating performance of Ann Patchett’s new novel transforms the fine book into a must-listen. As the Nelson family— Lara, Joe, and three adult daughters—isolate together on their Michigan cherry farm in the first year of the Covid pandemic, Lara entertains the girls with memories of working in summer stock theater at nearby Tom Lake and dating an actor who became a famous movie star. The dramas and emotional truths of long ago and today constitute the core of this resonant story. Streep narrates with breathtaking sensitivity to those emotional truths. Instead of character voices, she delivers realism, shifting rhythm and tone to reveal personalities. Never overdramatizing, she speaks with warmth, savoring with us the novel’s many lessons and satisfactions. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2023]