Dramatic impulses

The revelation of a long-ago affair ignites an exploration of family truths.

- NICHOLAS REID

TOM LAKE, by Ann Patchett (Bloomsbury, $34.99)

Ann Patchett, much admired and loaded with prestigious awards in the US, likes to write about families and awkward domestic situations. Tom Lake revolves around something particularly awkward.

In an apparently idyllic spot in Michigan, Lara and her husband, Joe, run a large cherry orchard. When harvest time comes, they have to rely on their three adult daughters to help because no seasonal workers are available during the pandemic. Emily, Maisie and Nell are all in their twenties. They love watching films starring a Hollywood actor called Peter Duke. But one evening, Joe tells them the movie star once used to date their mother. Immediately, the three sisters want to hear the whole story of Lara's affair with Duke, and keep nagging her to tell them every last detail.