If I have to describe this book in one sentence, then I would describe it as a novel about a significant summer romance narrated across another fateful summer. But what I found most interesting was what happened between these two summers, 1988 and 2020, that I think is the most unmissable part of this novel.
This entire story within the story begins in the eighties when Lara begins her spontaneous journey as an actress by auditioning for a high school play.
The famous play is none other than Our Town by Thornton Wilder, where she is selected to play Emily. This sudden decision of hers to appear for an audition and then play the part of Emily pushes her towards a brief but eventful acting career.
That acting career takes her from a nondescript New Hampshire town to Los Angeles, opening doors for Hollywood glamour. She is selected by an established director called Bill Ripley, who is impressed by her portrayal of Emily in her university production of the same play. It helps Lara to land a critical role in an ambitious project despite reservations from various establishments.
Coincidentally, it is Bill who suggests she perform in a summer-time theatre group called Tom Lake to wait out the movie post-production and release time. Unable to get her foot in the door through leading Broadway productions in New York, Lara decides to take up Bill’s advice and heads to that small community theatre in rural Michigan.
As soon as she reaches Tom Lake, she is almost accosted and then seduced by an unknown actor called Peter Duke. She once again portrays the role of Emily, whereas Peter has taken up the role of her father in Our Town. At this point in life, she has became accustomed to playing Emily. But what she is not used to is romance.
That summer of 1988 became the turning point for Lara in more ways than one. What begins as a hedonistic, all-consuming, and almost adventurous summer time fling turns into a disaster by the end of it. Thus, the story told by an older and perhaps wiser Lara is more focused on her experiences with the theatre group and relationships with the people therein.
However, it’s interesting to see how that summer ends in a literal crash. It brings a seismic shift in Lara’s life; thus, it affects her outlook towards life and love. So, it’s no wonder that she chooses Joe and his Michigan cherry farm over the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. It’s admirable how the author describes the pivotal incident as the final straw in Lara and Peter’s relationship with such intricate details.
And that brings us readers to the present day in 2020. By now, we are familiar with Lara and Joe’s family consisting of Emily, Maisie, and Nell. As more and more the backstory opens up, it’s endearing to know how Lara and Joe have honoured all the fictional and real women in their lives by naming their daughters after them. I admired this part of Lara’s story, built around her family, their cherry farm, and Joe. That’s why I said that it’s important what happened between 1988 and 2020 to bring Lara to such an appealing juncture in her life.
Although the story might feel vivid in some places, whereas lacking depth in others, it is essentially a charming tale of love, loss, and life. Indeed, it loses its pace at certain places, making the narration sluggish. Still, it is a wonderful fictional story to read, especially for fans of Ann Patchett’s writing. For new readers, this is perhaps not a great first book to get familiar with such a phenomenal contemporary author. Despite that, I would recommend it as a worthy addition to your TBR pile.
**I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and one of the main reason was the animated reading ( voiceover) by Meryl Streep. She can read my telephone bill next time and I will be equally captivated by it. 🙂