{"product_id":"tom-lake-novel-ann-patchett-9780063327528","title":"Tom Lake: A Novel | Ann Patchett","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #333; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 20px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eIn this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America's finest writers. Set in the spring of 2020 on a Northern Michigan cherry orchard, \u003cem\u003eTom Lake\u003c\/em\u003e centers on Lara Nelson as her three adult daughters return home to harvest the family farm and beg her to recount her youth as a professional actress.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 20px;\"\u003eBook Overview \u0026amp; Core Themes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eAs Lara recalls her romance with famous actor Peter Duke at a theater company called Tom Lake years before, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother. The novel serves as a profound meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents led before their children were born.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eKey areas examined within this work include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eDual timelines alternating between present-day reflection and late-1980s theatrical life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eIntertextual frameworks utilizing Thornton Wilder's classic play \u003cem\u003eOur Town\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eComplex family dynamics, female lineage, and parental privacy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eThe subversion of traditional regret narratives in favor of a peaceful, quiet life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnn Patchett\u003c\/strong\u003e is a celebrated American novelist, PEN\/Faulkner Award winner, Orange Prize winner, and Pulitzer Prize finalist (\u003cem\u003eBel Canto\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Dutch House\u003c\/em\u003e). Beyond her critically acclaimed bibliography, Patchett is a prominent advocate for independent bookselling as the co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing profound literary craftsmanship and industry authority to contemporary American fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eCore Audience \u0026amp; Intended Use\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLiterary Fiction \u0026amp; Book Clubs:\u003c\/strong\u003e An exceptional selection for group discussions focusing on domestic fiction, family secrets, and character-driven narratives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContemporary Literature Readers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Essential reading for fans of masterclass storytelling, poignant prose, and thoughtful explorations of marriage and motherhood.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCreative Writing Analysis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Frequently studied for its dual timeline structure, intertextual depth, and narrative pacing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eProduct Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003e\n      \u003ctbody\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left; width: 35%;\"\u003eFull Title\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eTom Lake: A Novel\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eAnn Patchett\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eHarper (An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eAugust 1, 2023\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eBinding Format\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eHardcover (HC)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrint Length\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e320 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eLanguage\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eISBN-13 \/ ISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e9780063327528 \/ 006332752X\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eFIC019000 \/ FICTION \/ Literary\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eFIC044000 \/ FAMILY LIFE; FIC027000 \/ WOMEN\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eItem Condition\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003ePre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e6.00 x 1.08 x 9.00 inches | 16.8 oz (approx. 1.05 lbs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About Tom Lake\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat core narrative arc, thematic focus, and setting define Tom Lake?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eSet in the spring of 2020 on a Northern Michigan cherry orchard, Tom Lake centers on Lara Nelson as her three adult daughters return home to harvest the family farm. To pass the time, her daughters urge her to recount her youth as a professional actress at the Tom Lake theater company, where she shared a romantic relationship and acted in Thornton Wilder's Our Town alongside Peter Duke—a man who would later become a globally famous movie star. The novel explores young love, marital endurance, parental secrets, and the paths not taken.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eHow does Ann Patchett utilize intertextuality and dual timelines in the novel?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003ePatchett masterfully uses Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town as an intertextual framework throughout the story. By alternating between Lara's present-day reflections on her quiet life as an orchard owner and her vibrant recollections of performing at Tom Lake in the late 1980s, Patchett mirrors Our Town's core themes: learning to appreciate the ephemeral beauty of ordinary life before it passes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eHow is Tom Lake received in literary studies, book clubs, and contemporary fiction analysis?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe novel is widely celebrated as a masterclass in domestic fiction and character-driven narrative structure. It is frequently analyzed for its tender depiction of family dynamics, female lineage, and its subversion of traditional regret narratives, demonstrating that choosing a peaceful, quiet life can be as fulfilling as a high-profile artistic career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat unique authorial achievements and literary authority make Ann Patchett a leading figure in modern American literature?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eAnn Patchett is a celebrated American novelist, PEN\/Faulkner Award winner, Orange Prize winner, and Pulitzer Prize finalist (Bel Canto, The Dutch House). Beyond her critically acclaimed bibliography, Patchett is a prominent advocate for independent bookselling as the co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing profound literary craftsmanship and industry authority to contemporary American fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat critical perspective does the novel offer on the nature of storytelling within families?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003ePatchett highlights that a parent's past belongs to them, not their children. Through Lara's selective narration to her daughters, the novel illustrates how parents carefully curate memories to protect both their family and their personal history, examining the subtle boundary between what is shared and what remains private.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003c!-- Bust-Down Condition Notice Disclaimer --\u003e\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #f4f6f8; border-left: 3px solid #2c3e50;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eCondition Notice: Pre-Owned \/ Second-Hand Product\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll books, box sets, and multi-volume collections\u003c\/strong\u003e offered by Bust-Down Books are sold in pre-owned, used, and second-hand condition, unless explicitly designated as new in the individual product listing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Details \u0026amp; Grading:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrevious Ownership:\u003c\/strong\u003e These items have been previously owned, handled, and read. As such, copies may exhibit typical signs of shelf wear, including but not limited to minor creasing, scuffing, edge wear, bent page corners, remainder marks, or spine softening. Hardcover editions may show minor dust jacket wear, edge chipping, or board rubbing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarkings \u0026amp; Personalization:\u003c\/strong\u003e Items may occasionally contain inscriptions, library stamps, owner names, marginalia, or highlighting. Individual item descriptions reflect significant deviations from standard acceptable condition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupplemental Materials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Secondary and digital components—such as publisher access codes, CD-ROMs, bonus inserts, registration keys, or workbook activity pages—are not guaranteed to be included, active, or unredeemed unless specifically stated in the product description.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Sale Doctrine \u0026amp; Non-Affiliation Statement:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAll items sold on this platform are original, lawfully acquired copies being resold under the protection of the First Sale Doctrine (codified under U.S. copyright law, 17 U.S.C. § 109, and applicable international equivalents permitting the secondary resale of lawfully manufactured goods).\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eBust-Down Books, LTD. is an independent, secondary-market bookseller. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or sponsored by the original authors, copyright holders, publishers, or trademark owners of the titles offered for sale. All registered trademarks, author names, book titles, and publisher imprints remain the sole property of their respective owners and are used strictly for nominative identification and descriptive purposes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": [\"Product\", \"Book\"],\n      \"name\": \"Tom Lake: A Novel\",\n      \"author\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Person\",\n          \"name\": \"Ann Patchett\"\n        }\n      ],\n      \"isbn\": \"9780063327528\",\n      \"sameAs\": \"006332752X\",\n      \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Hardcover\",\n      \"numberOfPages\": 309,\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Harper\"\n      },\n      \"datePublished\": \"2023-08-01\",\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780063327528.jpg?v=1793301086\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/tom-lake-novel-ann-patchett-9780063327528\",\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n        \"price\": \"1.99\",\n        \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\",\n        \"itemCondition\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/UsedCondition\"\n      },\n      \"about\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"FIC019000 \/ FICTION \/ Literary\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"FIC044000 \/ FICTION \/ Family Life \/ Domestic\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"FIC027000 \/ FICTION \/ Women\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What core narrative arc, thematic focus, and setting define Tom Lake?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Set in the spring of 2020 on a Northern Michigan cherry orchard, Tom Lake centers on Lara Nelson as her three adult daughters return home to harvest the family farm. To pass the time, her daughters urge her to recount her youth as a professional actress at the Tom Lake theater company, where she shared a romantic relationship and acted in Thornton Wilder's Our Town alongside Peter Duke—a man who would later become a globally famous movie star. The novel explores young love, marital endurance, parental secrets, and the paths not taken.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"How does Ann Patchett utilize intertextuality and dual timelines in the novel?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Patchett masterfully uses Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town as an intertextual framework throughout the story. By alternating between Lara's present-day reflections on her quiet life as an orchard owner and her vibrant recollections of performing at Tom Lake in the late 1980s, Patchett mirrors Our Town's core themes: learning to appreciate the ephemeral beauty of ordinary life before it passes.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"How is Tom Lake received in literary studies, book clubs, and contemporary fiction analysis?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"The novel is widely celebrated as a masterclass in domestic fiction and character-driven narrative structure. 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Beyond her critically acclaimed bibliography, Patchett is a prominent advocate for independent bookselling as the co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing profound literary craftsmanship and industry authority to contemporary American fiction.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What critical perspective does the novel offer on the nature of storytelling within families?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Patchett highlights that a parent's past belongs to them, not their children. Through Lara's selective narration to her daughters, the novel illustrates how parents carefully curate memories to protect both their family and their personal history, examining the subtle boundary between what is shared and what remains private.\"\n          }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50884777967931,"sku":"006332752X","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780063327528.jpg?v=1793301086","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/tom-lake-novel-ann-patchett-9780063327528","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}