Book Report

Do school kids still give book reports? I remember it as a big part of my upper elementary schooling. Everyone always ended with, “If you like _____________, I suggest you read this book.”

So today I arrived early in Bend, Oregon and went out walking along the river in 90- degree heat. Accompanied by my Audible reading (by Meryl Streep!) of Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake. 

I was in the last 40 minutes of some 11 hours of reading and lay down in the grass in the shade of a spreading pine tree and let the story wrap me in its arms. A perfect way to spend the afternoon. 

Like Barbara Kingsolver, I’ve enjoyed all of Ann Patchett’s books and when a new one comes out, I feel reasonably certain that I can trust her capacity to draw me into her world of fiction, regardless of the particular plot, theme, place or cast of characters.

Tom Lake did not disappoint and in fact, exceeded my expectations. What do I look for in a book? Thinking about this, I made a list:

• Plot:  I like a good story, one that like a good piece of music, gradually unfolds and twists and turns and leads to a satisfying conclusion. A story that I look forward to re-entering each night, eager to see what will happen next. I haven’t always felt satisfied with some of Ms Patchett’s previous book endings, but this one was pitch perfect. All threads clearly converging and concluding. 

 • Characters:  I not only want to meet characters that are interesting, colorful, authentic and intriguing, but I want many of them to be people I actually want to spend time with each day or night in my imagination. Life is too short to hang out with jerks, be they real or fictional. If there have to be some in the story— and there usually are— I at least want them to either get their just desserts or have some epiphany and make a breakthrough. I indeed enjoyed hanging out with Lara, Sebastian, Palace, Joe, Emily, Mazie, Nell and yes, even Peter Duke. 

• Writing Style: I like writers who are in control of their craft, who occasionally can dazzle me with a perfectly constructed sentence, carry me somewhere with their imagery, take me along for a ride with a certain rhythmic swing. Ms. Patchett indeed embodies all these qualities, never letting her craft dazzle for the sake of showing off and interrupting the story, but bringing it out when the occasion calls for it. 

• Humanity: There are plenty of writers who are good storytellers— particularly the thriller and mystery types— but it takes a certain quality to get over the hump of fiction into the land of literature. A feeling for some universal joys and sorrows, a plumbing of the depths of the human psyche, a sense of aiming for kindness, connection, redemption. The people in Tom Lake are as flawed as all of us struggling humans, but within a manageable proportion, a smaller range of disappointments and betrayals and unwise choices than the more dramatic drug addicts/ abusers/ murderers. 

• Location: Often when I travel, I try to read a book that takes place in the place I’m going to. Or I think about a place I would like to go to and skip the visa/ passport/ plane flight arrangements and just open a book. This book was a double winner because it takes place in Northern Michigan near the city I actually flew into (Traverse City) and though it’s the more inland cherry orchard country than the lakeside cottage experience I have there, I know the places she’s talking about. (Ironically, while walking through Traverse City I saw that Ms. Patchett was reading/ speaking at a small bookstore there! By the time I found that out, tickets were long ago sold out— too bad! That would have been sweet.)

• Weather:  This may seem like an odd criteria, but I had brought Fredrik Backman’s book Beartown with me, but just couldn’t see myself reading about ice hockey while lying on the beach. I’m saving it for the winter. 

 In conclusion, Tom Lake delivers in each of the above criteria. If you like to read for the same things, I suggest you read this book. 

-       Doug Goodkin: 66^th Grade Book Report