I have a new favorite book club book to recommend: Tom Lake by Ann Pachett. It's set in northern Michigan on a cherry orchard during the pandemic (when all three young adult daughters are home because of the lockdown) and has the 57-year-old mother recounting her days when she was a 20-something actress starring in the local summer theater where she dated a now famous movie star.
The story is rich with truths about friendships, loyalty and ambition vs a quiet life. It's wonderful, albeit wholly dependent on the reader being fluent in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town. If you aren't aware of the big parallels between the characters, scenes and lessons, you may miss some of Pachett's most effective scenes (when Duke walks into Joe's Aunt's kitchen and then up into the cemetery you realize that he has seen the set of Our Town come to life).
I recommend watching this version of Our Town from Broadway with Paul Newman on YouTube.
I brought a Cherry Burrata Salad to our book club on a State of Michigan melamine plate. I made sure that the cherry region near Leelanau peninsula was visible. The salad is simple. Place several blotted dry burrata cheese on a platter and cut them through crosswise. Scatter fresh pitted cherries, (washed and sliced in half) and cherry tomatoes (washed and halved) around the burrata. Slice fresh basil in thin strips and garnish across the top. Drizzle all over with olive oil. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Crack fresh pepper and sprinkle with sea salt.
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