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Quick answer: If you loved Tom Lake, read Ann Patchett's The Dutch House and Commonwealth, then Our Souls at Night, Olive Kitteridge, Lessons in Chemistry and Writers & Lovers. All are warm, thoughtful novels about families, memory and the choices that shape a life.
Ann Patchett's 2023 novel is set on a Michigan cherry orchard in 2020, where Lara tells her three grown daughters the story of her youthful romance with a famous actor. It is warm, funny and reflective, with Thornton Wilder's Our Town woven through it. The books below offer similar stories of family, memory and love.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Dutch House | Ann Patchett | Adult | siblings and memory |
| Commonwealth | Ann Patchett | Adult | blended families |
| Bel Canto | Ann Patchett | Adult | hostages and opera |
| State of Wonder | Ann Patchett | Adult | Amazon expedition |
| Run | Ann Patchett | Adult | adoption and family |
| Our Souls at Night | Kent Haruf | Adult | late-life friendship |
| Olive Kitteridge | Elizabeth Strout | Adult | linked stories |
| Lessons in Chemistry | Bonnie Garmus | Adult | 1960s chemist |
| Writers & Lovers | Lily King | Adult | creative lives |
| Our Town | Thornton Wilder | Adult | classic play |
| Hamnet | Maggie O'Farrell | Adult | historical grief |
| A Gentleman in Moscow | Amor Towles | Adult | house arrest in a hotel |
| Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Adult | Ohio suburb |
| Normal People | Sally Rooney | Adult | two lovers |
| The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Adult | Hollywood secrets |
1. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Two siblings are shaped by the house they lose. Warm and quietly witty.
Best for: siblings and memory.
2. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Two families are blended by a kiss at a christening party. Thoughtful.
Best for: blended families.
3. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Hostages and captors form a community around an opera singer. Lyrical.
Best for: hostages and opera.
4. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
A researcher travels to the Amazon to find her colleague. Tense and atmospheric.
Best for: Amazon expedition.
5. Run by Ann Patchett
A Boston family is shaken by a night in the snow. Warm and pacy.
Best for: adoption and family.
6. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Two widowed neighbours begin to spend nights together. Short and tender.
Best for: late-life friendship.
7. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Linked stories about a prickly retired teacher in a small Maine town. Pulitzer-winning.
Best for: linked stories.
8. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
A chemist becomes a TV cooking star. Funny and sharp.
Best for: 1960s chemist.
9. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Casey, a waitress and aspiring novelist, grieves her mother while juggling two men. Honest.
Best for: creative lives.
10. Our Town by Thornton Wilder
A play about life and death in a small New Hampshire town. Simple and moving.
Best for: classic play.
11. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Shakespeare's family and the death of his son. Lyrical and moving.
Best for: historical grief.
12. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Count Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in a grand hotel for decades. Charming.
Best for: house arrest in a hotel.
13. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Two families in a planned community clash over a custody battle. Tense.
Best for: Ohio suburb.
14. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Marianne and Connell drift together and apart over the years. Quiet and addictive.
Best for: two lovers.
15. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An ageing film star tells a young journalist the truth about her marriages. A page-turner.
Best for: Hollywood secrets.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Tom Lake: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more Patchett begin with The Dutch House or Commonwealth. For adventurous Patchett try State of Wonder or Bel Canto. For gentle late-life stories choose Our Souls at Night or Olive Kitteridge. For stories of love and storytelling pick Hamnet or Writers & Lovers. Tom Lake is warm and reflective, so these picks suit readers who like families and memories. Tom Lake is narrated in the audiobook by Meryl Streep, whose performance has been widely praised. The novel is also a love letter to Thornton Wilder's Our Town, so reading or watching it adds a layer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tom Lake about?
A mother tells her daughters about her youthful romance with a future movie star on a cherry orchard during the pandemic.
Who wrote it?
Ann Patchett.
When was it published?
2023.
Who narrates the audiobook?
Meryl Streep.
Is it sad?
It is warm and reflective with some sadness.
Do I need to know Our Town?
No, but it enriches the novel.
Is it set during Covid?
Yes, in 2020.
What should I read next?
Try The Dutch House.
Which book here is best for Amazon expedition?
Try State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, which suits readers looking for Amazon expedition.
Which book here is best for linked stories?
Try Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, which suits readers looking for linked stories.
Which book here is best for classic play?
Try Our Town by Thornton Wilder, which suits readers looking for classic play.
Which book here is best for Ohio suburb?
Try Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, which suits readers looking for Ohio suburb.
Which book here is best for blended families?
Try Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, which suits readers looking for blended families.
Which book here is best for adoption and family?
Try Run by Ann Patchett, which suits readers looking for adoption and family.