Discover thought-provoking Tom Lake book club questions here.This #1 New York Times bestselling Reese’s book club selection by Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto and Commonwealth, has topped many readers’ “best of the year” lists and offered so much to talk about, from the meaning of happiness to love and family.
You’ll foster meaningful discussion and get free printable book club questions to use as a book club resource at your in-person meeting. Let’s get literary!
Quick Tom Lake Summary With Themes
My Rating: ★★★★★ (For more details, read my summary of Tom Lake and/or review of Tom Lake.)
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett is about three adult daughters (Emily, Maisie, and Nell) who return to their parents’ (Lara and Joe Nelson) Michigan cherry farm during the pandemic. Their mother tells them the story of how she dated a famous actor (Peter Duke) in her youth at a Summer theater job.
Tom Lake quickly became one of my top reads, as I am a huge fan of Ann Patchett’s books. It’s an amazing book club book to discuss such themes as family, love, memory, and relationships.
This literary fiction book is a rumination on real love, how the past leads to the present, and what parts of a story to retell.
The plot twist in Tom Lake is that Lara saw Duke one last time, which she never told anyone about. He impregnated her, and she had an abortion. Decades later, the Nelson family buries him on their property.
READING TIPS
- Actress Meryl Streep exquisitely narrates the Tom Lake audiobook. However, the print version will also allow you to slowly indulge in the luscious prose (plus it has a display-worthy book cover).
- I read Our Town first and watched the adaptation too. You don’t “have to” but you will learn spoilers of the play otherwise.
Watch Ann Patchet discuss this book with PBS News Hour on Youtube:
Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake: Book Club Questions
Spoiler Alert: There are spoilers in these discussion questions for Tom Lake.
Did you read or watch Our Town, too?
If so, did you draw any comparisons between Our Town and Tom Lake?
Of all the plays, why do you think Patchett chose Our Town for Tom Lake?
If you’ve read Ann Patchett before, how did Tom Lake stack up for you?
Discuss the format by which you read Tom Lake.
Discuss the significance of the cherry farm setting.
Discuss the timing of COVID-19 in Tom Lake.
Did you identify most with any of the three daughters?
Tom Lake was decidedly not a “sliding doors” (What if?) novel type. Why do you think Patchett made this choice and made it so clear to the reader?
Who would you cast in a movie adaptation?
Did the “story within a story” work for you?
Discuss any significance of the age difference between Lara and Duke.
What attracted Lara and Duke to each other?
Why did Lara end up with Joe?
Why did Tom Lake remain so memorable to the characters?
Describe Lara’s career path and how it and she changed over time.
Why does Lara tell her life story beyond her romantic relationship with her daughters?
Why does Lara keep certain parts of the story to herself?
How does Lara view the past?
How does Lara view the present?
Describe the reactions of Lara’s three daughters to her story.
How may this story differ from another character’s perspective?
Describe Lara’s view of motherhood in this book about motherhood.
Discuss Lara’s life view and what the reader can take from it.
Did each character “end up” the way you expected?
Printable PDF Reading Guide of the Discussion Questions
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Book Club Ideas for Food and Beyond
- Eat and Drink: cherry everything, from pie to preserves, martinis, and anything you can imagine. It would be fun to do a cherry-themed potluck. Also note that cherry pairs well with soft cheeses, like brie, goat, and blue cheese.
- Do: Attend a showing of Our Town or go cherry picking.
Book Club Books to Read Next
If you loved these Tom Lake book club questions, check out these books about family and choices next:
- The Dutch House Discussion Questions
- Hello Beautiful Discussion Questions
- Broken Country Discussion Questions
- The Midnight Library Discussion Questions
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
