“A little magic can take you a long way.” Roald Dahl
Don’t think for one minute we’re going to let today melt into tomorrow without wishing Roald Dahl a Splendiferous Birthday! If anyone should’ve lived productively to the ripe age of 107, it’s Lofty. Angels above, please give that man some heavenly chocolate. And a yellow notepad with an HB pencil for the happy occasion. I beg you. Just now, I learned that old Roald had some of his favorite things buried with him—you know, like the Vikings. Any guesses as to his “grave goods”? He went with a fine burgundy wine, a few snooker cues, his HB pencils, and a power saw. (A power saw…that man!) Oh, and chocolate of course, from Charlie’s factory no doubt. How about a moment of silence for the giganticus author?
Speaking of giganticus authors, can we talk about one of Rae’s faves for a minute? In 2019, when Rachel recommended Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, she professed she was “well on her way to becoming a solid fan.” I think it’s safe to say her admiration for A.P. has fully grown. I know mine has. (I’m pretty sure the dog lovin’, prize-winning author, and independent bookstore owner is living our dream.) I really enjoyed Patchett’s latest: Tom Lake. The year is 2020. The setting is a tight-knit family’s cherry farm in gorgeous Northern Michigan. The protagonist is a modern-day mother who tells her three twenty-something daughters (home to pick cherries to sustain the farm and their family during COVID) about how she dated a movie star (in embryo) when she was their age. That probably doesn’t sound overly exciting. But we’re talking about Ann Patchett here—who can make the smallness of life look both beautiful and desirable. (I love her faith in human goodness.) She lassos nostalgia and infuses it into her relatable pages. If you’re in the mood for “a thoughtful, elegiac tale [that] celebrates the ordinary and anxieties of first love, family, and fateful choices,” this one’s for you.
P.S. Be sure to listen to this book—Meryl Streep’s performance was genius. It was, not surprisingly, a little [audible] magic!