You are about to listen to a BBC podcast and I'd like to tell you a bit about what goes into making one.

I'm Sadata Sese, an assistant commissioner of podcasts for BBC Sounds.

I pull a lot of levers to support a diverse range of podcasts on all sorts of subjects,

relationships, identity, comedy, even one that mixes poetry, music and inner city life.

So one day I'll be helping host develop their ideas, the next fact-checking, a feature,

and the next looking at how a podcast connects with its audience, and maybe that's you.

So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

Today, I'm delving into the alchemical treasures of times past with two historical novels

that explore the power of magic and mysticism from Laura Shepard Robinson and S.J. Paris. But first, a writer

captivated by the magic of the everyday. Anne Patchett is the author of many beloved novels,

including the magician's assistant, Belle Canto and the Dutch House, as well as much-aclaimed

non-fiction. Her latest novel, Tom Lake, named after

a place rather than a person, is set during the lockdown of 2020 and unfolds over dual timelines

as narrator Lara tells her three adult daughters, the story of her youthful foray into acting,

and an all-consuming first love.

When I spoke to Anne in the midst of her U.S. book tour, I began by asking her to tell us what Lara's story is really about.

She's telling them about the summer that she spent at a summerstock theater in Michigan

called Tom Lake.

And her daughters are 22, 24, and 26. She's 57. And the summer that

she is recalling is the summer when she was 24. So the girls are very interested. She was a very

promising young actress when she was 24. And that that summer she had a romance. I'm not

...