The Meta Pleasures of ‘Tom Lake’
How well can we ever know our parents? In all our attempts to understand them, we suffer an insurmountable disadvantage: our parents lived for years—often decades—before we even existed. How many formative stories haven’t they told us—due to omission, forgetfulness, or mere lack of time?
, the latest novel by , looks at how stories can shape—and shift—our relationships. The setup will be relatable to many: A family gathers during spring 2020 to ride out the worst of the pandemic together. Amid the monotony of cherry-harvesting on their Michigan farm, three grown daughters decide to prize a long-withheld story from their mother, Lara. When she was a young, up-and-coming actress, Lara dated Peter Duke, who went on to become a movie star. In finally hearing the full story, the daughters think they’ll understand this glossed-over episode in their mother’s life. But storytelling allows a
