Lisa Kusel's Reviews > Tom Lake

Listened. I have no words ample enough to describe Meryl Streep's incandescent talent. Her narration was a work of art. A thing of beauty.

OMG the cherry orchard. Who, after listening to or reading this book, has not checked out airfares to Traverse City? I need to go. I need to eat cherries until I am sick.

You could place a photo of this book next to the word POIGNANT in the dictionary. Damn, but it was a sopping miasma of emotion, no? I laughed. I cried. I felt. I hurt. I winced.

I was mostly in love with the story, listening to it in fits and starts throughout many many days. I was always happy to press PLAY again and dive back in, languishing in that voice, those fantastic characters, the intelligence of the writing, the subtle humor, those three lovely daughters, that farm.

Toward the end, though, I became less engrossed. It started when Lara went to visit her old friend. Sure, it was meant to be dark, but for me it tipped a bit too much over into melodrama. The wrapping up also seemed truncated. I mean, sure, it had to end at some point but I felt a little cheated. There were many questions left unanswered. Memories left unshared. Such is the way with fiction.

Our Town will never be the same for me again.