Tom Lake

June 9, 2026
Fiction

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Walk the Orchard and Follow Her Story in Tom Lake

Three grown daughters, a cherry orchard in northern Michigan, and more fruit than they can pick. In Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, Lara and her family end up back home together during the early days of COVID, working to bring in the harvest with a smaller crew. Cherry season is short, just a few weeks to get everything picked, so the days move fast. To pass the time, Lara keeps the days moving by telling stories from her past, a little like Shahrzad in Arabian Nights. Before this life, she spent a summer at Tom Lake, acting in a play and falling for a young actor who would later become famous. It comes down to how a single summer can shape everything that comes after.

“The stories that are familiar will always be our favorites.”

The Menu: Tom Lake

Set at Three Sisters Orchard, this menu keeps things from farm to table. Cherries, apples, Joe’s potato salad, and deviled eggs, simple meals made with what’s on hand. It’s the kind of food you want when you’re stuck on a farm with your family and still staring down rows of fruit that aren’t going to pick themselves.

Drinks

Tom Lake - Drink — Photo from A Lush Life Manual

With the apple farm next door, thanks to Emily’s boyfriend, apples had to show up somewhere. This Apple Cider Spritz from A Lush Life Manual is crisp, a little sweet, and easy to sip. Perfect for raising a glass to the girls and the stories that brought them back together.

Appetizer

Pair your apple spritz with Once Upon a Chef’s deviled eggs, a comfort dish everyone loves. Did you know they’ve been around in some form since ancient Rome? This recipe is a little creamy, a little tangy, and will disappear before you can say “back to the cherry trees.”

Salad

This pear salad from the Minimalist Baker brings in one of the main staples of the orchard. Sweet pears, dried cherries, and candied walnuts give it a mix of soft, tart, and crunch. Dried cherries are a Michigan staple, made from the same fruit they spend the season picking. If you’re short on time, store-bought candied walnuts work just fine. Just don’t skip the dried cherries. The girls worked hard to bring them in.

Main

This one feels like something that would come together in Lara’s kitchen. Chicken thighs, garlic, and herbs, all cooked in one pan with a simple sauce. It’s easy, reliable, and good enough to make again the next night. Find the recipe at Jo Cooks.

Side

Joe’s love for potato salad gets called out more than once, so it had to be here. This version keeps things classic. Creamy, a little tangy, and exactly what you (and Joe) would expect. Eggs, green onion, and a simple dressing bring it all together in Foodie Crush’s version. Nothing fancy, just a solid potato salad that works every time.

Dessert

These ginger molasses cookies from Entertaining with Beth come straight from Lara’s past. Her grandmother used to bake them and mail them to her, even after she moved away. Soft, a little spiced, and the kind of cookie that holds up in a box and still tastes like home. You can turn them into ice cream sandwiches or just serve one with a scoop on the side. Add a bowl of fresh cherries if they’re in season.

We all remember that time. More time at home, the same people in our social bubbles, baking sourdough. For the girls, it wasn’t just about trying to get the family farm fruit picked in time. It was realizing their parents had full lives before them and those choices led here. Throwing in a famous movie star didn’t hurt either, it helped keep the girls picking a little faster. Like the cherries they were picking, some parts of Lara’s story were sweeter than others, but all of it still counted.