Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors, and this collection of essays did not disappoint. I can’t even begin to pick a favorite, yet the title story, “These Precious Days,” will remain with me always, and it brought tears to my eyes, which is rare when I am reading. In this story and a few others, the power of friendship and being in sync with another person is a powerful theme. Patchett develops a relationship with Sooki Raphael, Tom Hanks’s assistant, whom she meets when Hanks agrees to read the audio version of The Dutch House. It is a happenstance meeting that becomes monumental during the lockdown of 2020.
All of the stories are engaging and thought-provoking. Patchett discusses in detail the people who influenced her writing—family members, including her father and two stepfathers, college mentors, other family members, and friends. She discusses her writing process and self-critique and explains when and if she takes advice about editing her work to please others. The essays expound on marriage, divorce, and choosing not to have children. In essence, she discusses what she has learned about life, aging, and death through many incidents she experienced. Some of her descriptions are of ordinary events. Yet, others are unusual to her circumstances of being an accomplished writer/bookstore owner married to a successful doctor. If you have read most of Ann Patchett’s books, her essays shed a different light on them as she explains backstories, book jackets, and other decisions related to the publication. I highly recommend these essays that touch on EVERYTHING important in life.
