Tom Lake
Cut along the dashed lines and pass the cards around the table.
What were you wearing, drinking, or doing while you read this book? Did it become a cozy companion?
Was there a scene that made you want to call your mom, your sister, or a long-ago friend?
Lara tells her daughters a version of her past. What family story have you heard told so many times it almost feels like your own memory?
The cherry orchard becomes a kind of haven during a hard time. Where is your version of that place, real or imagined?
How did the summer-at-Tom-Lake sections make you feel compared to the present-day orchard chapters? Which did you want to linger in longer?
Patchett writes so warmly about ordinary tasks like picking fruit and making meals. What everyday rituals comfort you the way the orchard work comforts this family?
Lara seems genuinely content with the life she chose, even knowing what she gave up. What does her quiet contentment stir up in you about your own choices?
Mothers usually edit their stories for their children. What did you feel about the things Lara shares, holds back, or softens, and how did that land for you personally?