Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Tom Lake

This was a really lovely book. Meryl Streep is a fantastic narrator and tells the story in a voice only she can bring. She's sweet and tempered and soft which was perfect for this story. The book is slow but that lets you enjoy it and catch the nuances. I thought about speeding it up but I decided not to since I was savoring the tempo, tone and timing.

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thecandiegirl's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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ressicajicks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Beautifully written and beautifully read by Meryl Streep. The pacing might have been too slow for me had I not listened to the audiobook, but I am so glad I did. Springtime in the year that I am the same age as Emily, the year that I will marry my Joe Nelson, was the perfect time in my life to have experienced this novel on walks around my neighborhood with my neighbors’ flower beds in bloom. I am so so lucky.

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annaka's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Beautiful writing and interesting to see a book set in the pandemic that reflects on some of the impact we lived through. The story itself felt more about the journey than the plot while still having an interesting plot. Moments of the pacing felt off to me. I also felt rubbed the wrong way (slight spoiler ahead)

by the mc’s thought of there’s plenty of time for her children to change their mind about children.

Overall an enjoyable book club read.

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thalia16's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I'm a ride or die Ann Patchett fan, but this book just didn't have the magic for me. Judging books by their cover is often misleading in a pleasantly surprising way, however this one unfortunately aligned very closely with its cover: outdated (despite taking place during an incredibly contemporary world event) and not very exciting.

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athenap92's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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katietregs's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Quite sentimental. Not a lot of twists and turns. The writing is good, but most of the characters feel quite flat. Very pro farm. My main takeaway is that this woman loves farm.

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