These Precious Days: Essays
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- Create Date：2022-12-26 06:51:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ann Patchett
- ISBN：0063092794
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Summary
The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home， family， friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays。
"The elegance of Patchett's prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide， readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles， failures， and triumphs alike。" --Publisher's Weekly
"Any story that starts will also end。" As a writer， Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be。 Life， however， often takes turns we do not see coming。 Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart。
At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay， a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores "what it means to be seen， to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self。" When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks' short story collection to read one night before bed， she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing。 It would introduce her to a remarkable woman--Tom's brilliant assistant Sooki--with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both。
A literary alchemist， Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape， each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight。 Turning her writer's eye on her own experiences， she transforms the private into the universal， providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew， and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be。
From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo's children's books （author of The Beatryce Prophecy） to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz's Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting， Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most。 Infused with the author's grace， wit， and warmth， the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul， leaving an indelible mark--and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time。
"The elegance of Patchett's prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide， readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles， failures， and triumphs alike。" --Publisher's Weekly
"Any story that starts will also end。" As a writer， Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be。 Life， however， often takes turns we do not see coming。 Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart。
At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay， a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores "what it means to be seen， to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self。" When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks' short story collection to read one night before bed， she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing。 It would introduce her to a remarkable woman--Tom's brilliant assistant Sooki--with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both。
A literary alchemist， Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape， each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight。 Turning her writer's eye on her own experiences， she transforms the private into the universal， providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew， and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be。
From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo's children's books （author of The Beatryce Prophecy） to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz's Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting， Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most。 Infused with the author's grace， wit， and warmth， the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul， leaving an indelible mark--and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time。
Reviews
Lena
，
"For as many times the horrible thing happens， a thousand times in every day the horrible thing passes us by。 A meteor could be skating past Earth's atmosphere this very minute。 We'll never know how close we came to annihilation， but today I saw it。 Everything I had and stood to lose， and did not lose。" - from "The Moment Nothing Changed"I've been there many times—the moment the horrible thing unfortunately does not pass me by。 Hell， I was very much there this year！ But you know where else I was "For as many times the horrible thing happens， a thousand times in every day the horrible thing passes us by。 A meteor could be skating past Earth's atmosphere this very minute。 We'll never know how close we came to annihilation， but today I saw it。 Everything I had and stood to lose， and did not lose。" - from "The Moment Nothing Changed"I've been there many times—the moment the horrible thing unfortunately does not pass me by。 Hell， I was very much there this year！ But you know where else I was this year， after that？ The moment it did pass me by。 The moment I did not lose everything that I stood to lose。 The narrow win after a hard fought， miserable battle。 Funny enough， I scribbled this quote from an essay on her husband's love of piloting planes。 This isn't even from the large chunk of this book that's about her friend Sooki's cancer！ （I'll save that discussion for another time。 I'm still well in the thick of all that and haven't reached a place of eloquence， or hell， even understanding， just yet。）But this？ This I get。 Everything I could have lost and miraculously did not， and hopefully will not for a long long time。 。。。more
Brenna Sherrill
，
Not a great idea to read the last 100 pages of this on Christmas Eve and just cry through my makeup， but here we are。
Heidi Worley
，
I loved this book so much I’m officially reading everything Ann Patchett has written that I haven’t yet read！！ Just checked five books out of the library-it’s my own personal Ann Patchett marathon！ Her essays in These Precious Days are excruciatingly tender， human， authentic。 She is amazing！
Tom
，
There are very books that have touched me so deeply， and held me so tightly， as has this one - a collection， as is life， of essays: some short， and very short， and some of length 。。。 but like the passing of our days， one day at a time 。。。 and then that day is done， it's gone 。。。 we remember it， maybe 。。。 partially 。。。 or hardly at all 。。。 because it's done， and gone， and there are other days unfolding， calling us 。。。 to who knows what。The days all end， finally 。。。 as they must 。。。 like the portr There are very books that have touched me so deeply， and held me so tightly， as has this one - a collection， as is life， of essays: some short， and very short， and some of length 。。。 but like the passing of our days， one day at a time 。。。 and then that day is done， it's gone 。。。 we remember it， maybe 。。。 partially 。。。 or hardly at all 。。。 because it's done， and gone， and there are other days unfolding， calling us 。。。 to who knows what。The days all end， finally 。。。 as they must 。。。 like the portraits on the wall of The American Academy of Arts and Letters 。。。 others took leave to make room for us， and then we'll take our own leave， to make room for still others to follow。 It's all rather orderly， at least for some; harsh and cruel for others who live and die in the midst of war and crushing poverty， and border-crossings， and deadly alleys。Here's a book to read， and read again 。。。 it will mine well over the years 。。。 Patchett is a wonder。She brings to life the people she's known and loved， admired， and from whom she's learned 。。。 she reveals herself， too， in ways that are delightful， without braggadocio 。。。 her encounter at the table with Updike is humorous and ever-so real。 She's a woman of great character 。。。 devoted to her friends and family and to her bookstore 。。。 and to her craft。 She bares her soul and lets us in 。。。 and that's always transformative。 I know， it's been transformative for me。I'm grateful to Ann Patchett， and thank you to her for introducing me to many remarkable people， especially Sooki。 This would be a good read for a book club 。。。 every little essay a prompt for questions and meanderings 。。。 all of it， an invitation to life， real life， I suppose 。。。 not the life of the self-help aisle of a bookstore， but the life of your neighbor， your friends whom you know and don't know， all at the same time 。。。 and yourself， in your worst and your best 。。。 life without all the trumped up stuff of religion， which may be， after all， the only religion worth living。 。。。more
Carolyn
，
I loved This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage， and this is a continuation of feeling like you are one of Ann Patchett’s buddies， involved in her daily life and thoughts and privileged to share the wonderful way she sees the world。 The title story is especially beautiful and brings to mind Truth and Beauty。
Odyssa
，
A beautiful collection of essays on family， friendship， and death。
Lea
，
4。5。 Her essays make me a better person。
Sara
，
Excellent essays， even though I hate to say this， but I think Ann Patchett is a little arrogant。
Julie
，
It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of reading one of her books and this one did not disappoint - she draws you in with her writing until you are immersed。 Highly recommend this book！ It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of reading one of her books and this one did not disappoint - she draws you in with her writing until you are immersed。 Highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Kati
，
Wonderful essays lots of them revolving around meditations on death and life。
Madelyn DeFore
，
The chapter on Kate DiCamillo is beautiful and encompasses why Kate is one of my favorite authors！
Nathalie （keepreadingbooks）
，
These Precious Days indeed。 I am so thrilled I came across this on my trip to Germany and decided to pick it up right after finishing Flight。 It was exactly the kind of book I was craving; comforting， moving， quietly beautiful。 Essays can be subjective， since they represent the thoughts and feelings of the author， but luckily， Ann Patchett is my kind of person。 Her voice is clever， soothing， and unmistakably human。 She is not afraid to highlight her own flaws and mistakes， nor her fears， and the These Precious Days indeed。 I am so thrilled I came across this on my trip to Germany and decided to pick it up right after finishing Flight。 It was exactly the kind of book I was craving; comforting， moving， quietly beautiful。 Essays can be subjective， since they represent the thoughts and feelings of the author， but luckily， Ann Patchett is my kind of person。 Her voice is clever， soothing， and unmistakably human。 She is not afraid to highlight her own flaws and mistakes， nor her fears， and there is an undercurrent of gratitude， an ability to enjoy and appreciate her lot in life， which I deeply admire。 She is also the kind of writer that makes me want to write， and in that she joins the ranks of， among others， Penelope Lively and Mary Oliver。This was my first Ann Patchett book， and perhaps an odd place to start， but you can't control which books speak to you – and now that this one has spoken to me， I definitely need to explore her backlist！ 。。。more
Linda Rozanski
，
Very interesting essays providing insights to Ann Patchett’s life。 Some were really really good and others were just OK。 But what made it totally worthwhile was the essay “These Precious Days” about her chance meeting and friendship with Tom Hanks’ assistant， Sooki Raphael。 It was absolutely amazing and made me appreciate what a wonderful and humble person Ann Patchett is。 Then there is Sooki， who is totally amazing herself in a whole different way。 I will think about them for a long time。This b Very interesting essays providing insights to Ann Patchett’s life。 Some were really really good and others were just OK。 But what made it totally worthwhile was the essay “These Precious Days” about her chance meeting and friendship with Tom Hanks’ assistant， Sooki Raphael。 It was absolutely amazing and made me appreciate what a wonderful and humble person Ann Patchett is。 Then there is Sooki， who is totally amazing herself in a whole different way。 I will think about them for a long time。This book was on Obama’s 2021 favorites book list and now I know why。 。。。more
Susannah Lauber
，
I immediately reread many of the essays upon finishing them。
Jan
，
I have read most of Ann Patchett books but this told me much more of who she was as a person。 I could my author friend Judith also speaking on every page so I gave her the gift of these essays。 I also then went and ordered the short stories by Tom Hanks and all the books I could find of Kate DiCamillo， two authors I had not read。 This is an example of inspiration at it's finest。 I have read most of Ann Patchett books but this told me much more of who she was as a person。 I could my author friend Judith also speaking on every page so I gave her the gift of these essays。 I also then went and ordered the short stories by Tom Hanks and all the books I could find of Kate DiCamillo， two authors I had not read。 This is an example of inspiration at it's finest。 。。。more
Donna
，
I don’t normally read memoirs and Ann Patchett’s books have been hit or miss for me， so I was surprised and delighted by how much I loved this book of personal essays。 I found something interesting， surprising， moving， or profound in every essay。 I liked it so much that I’m running out to buy a copy for my daughter， who will love it， too。
Nicoletta
，
Volevo iniziare a conoscere Ann Patchett， ho acquistato questo libro credendo fosse un romanzo e invece è stato il modo migliore per scoprirlo。 Non sono una grande amante di saggi， ma questi sono così intimi e ben scritti da sembrare una storia。
Courtney
，
a redeeming epilogue， but otherwise the most annoying， self indulgent， slog of a collection。 Ann patchett ， whose fiction I love， uses the words “I” “me” “my” “mine” more times than I could possibly count。 she comes across pretentious， unfun， and， dare I say， like she enjoys being a pain in the ass。 the worst kind。 I almost didn’t finish， but I needed to meet my goal of 15 books for 2022， so I persevered！ 1/5。
Garima Sharma
，
Some of the essays are exceptionally good。 Like the one on three fathers， another is these precious days 。 Some small ones are also interactive and quite interesting。 Some of the ones are lengthy and you may loose track of the story。 A good relief from lengthy novels。
Tram Nguyen
，
Yall have to listen to her narrate the audiobook
Kate
，
4。5
Gail
，
I finished this collection of essays with two assertions: Ann Patchett is both a brilliant writer and a truly good human。 Each of her pieces is written with candid reflection， giving us glimpses into the many and varied details of a life well lived。 Two that I loved most: her fascinating discussion on the process of creating and choosing book cover designs for her novels， and her joyful description of the bookstore she owns in Nashville， Parnassus。 As a book lover， a library employee， and a life I finished this collection of essays with two assertions: Ann Patchett is both a brilliant writer and a truly good human。 Each of her pieces is written with candid reflection， giving us glimpses into the many and varied details of a life well lived。 Two that I loved most: her fascinating discussion on the process of creating and choosing book cover designs for her novels， and her joyful description of the bookstore she owns in Nashville， Parnassus。 As a book lover， a library employee， and a lifelong reader， I connect deeply with her passion for spaces where writers and readers gather to browse and discuss， spaces that are filled with the aroma of paper and ink and that are infused with the communal knowledge that "these are my people。" Like many other readers， I am an Ann Patchett fan。 This latest book just reinforces it。 。。。more
Kiran
，
Since I discovered Ann Patchett by chance on my honeymoon in 2003 with a copy of Bel Canto that had been left in the lending library of the hotel， I have read and loved her works。 Admittedly none of her novels have come close to Bel Canto for me， but I've enjoyed them nonetheless， and her books of essays have been magnificent。 These Precious Days did not disappoint。 Reading it near the holidays was a perfect way to cozy into the season。 Both Ann and Michelle Obama （I'm currently listening to The Since I discovered Ann Patchett by chance on my honeymoon in 2003 with a copy of Bel Canto that had been left in the lending library of the hotel， I have read and loved her works。 Admittedly none of her novels have come close to Bel Canto for me， but I've enjoyed them nonetheless， and her books of essays have been magnificent。 These Precious Days did not disappoint。 Reading it near the holidays was a perfect way to cozy into the season。 Both Ann and Michelle Obama （I'm currently listening to The Light We Carry） have extolled the healing powers of knitting， encouraging me to dig out my needles and yarn and immerse myself in the act of creation。 Ann has reminded me that opening my home and my heart to strangers can be one of the most ultimately rewarding things that we can do as humans。 She has helped me to redefine my relationship with my father and to re-evaluate the way that we experience the death of a loved one。 She has inspired me to celebrate the daily comforts - walking the dog， appreciating the colors of our world， cooking delicious meals， spending time with loved ones and friends。 Through her descriptions I can dream of owning a bookstore and reveling in the quiet。 Thank you， Ann Patchett， for sharing more of yourself with us with your candor and beautifully crafted words。 It is always an honor。 。。。more
Beth
，
2。5
Andlandm
，
Very good set of essays， many of which we previously read in magazines， but worth re-reading。
Jessica
，
I tend to not like non-fiction nor short stories。 So， it was odd in many ways that I picked this one up。 But， I had multiple people tell me how good it was， AND it checked off a box for a Kindle challenge。 So， I read this gem and am glad I did！！ This book was so refreshing！！ The stories were inspiring， engaging， thought provoking， and just all around enjoyable！ I appreciated her perspective on not having children as I often get similar questions/comments about only having one child。 I never knew I tend to not like non-fiction nor short stories。 So， it was odd in many ways that I picked this one up。 But， I had multiple people tell me how good it was， AND it checked off a box for a Kindle challenge。 So， I read this gem and am glad I did！！ This book was so refreshing！！ The stories were inspiring， engaging， thought provoking， and just all around enjoyable！ I appreciated her perspective on not having children as I often get similar questions/comments about only having one child。 I never knew she owned a bookstore and definitely need to make a trip to Nashville to visit （not that I really need an excuse to visit a bookstore）！ 😁I would say this is a great book for this time of year。 If you don't have the time to sit down and invest in a large book， these essays would be the perfect solution。 。。。more
Amy
，
I read Ann Patchett's State of Wonder many years ago and disliked the ending so much that I've never picked up another book of hers。 But when her essay collection come out， I decided to give her another try。 I had forgotten how much I actually love her writing， and， without the threat of everything falling apart at the end， I enjoyed this collection immensely。 I read Ann Patchett's State of Wonder many years ago and disliked the ending so much that I've never picked up another book of hers。 But when her essay collection come out， I decided to give her another try。 I had forgotten how much I actually love her writing， and， without the threat of everything falling apart at the end， I enjoyed this collection immensely。 。。。more
Marykate Hughes
，
I savored each one of these essays - all are good， many truly great。 These Precious Days （the title essay） is emotionally engaging in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever felt with a book。 And pp。 305-306 about the death of her father spoke to my heart so deeply。 Highly recommend。
Donna
，
Another fantastic Ann Patchett book。 So many good stories to read。 I loved the title chapter about Sooki the best （I think）。 I would love to visit Parnassus bookstore one day just to see Ann and thank her for all her books。 I have read all of them （but 2） and loved them all。 This is a book to be savored。 You can read a chapter a day， a week， or one after the other。 I will be keeping this one on my bookshelf to read again。
Laura
，