Since you are a fiction reader, you will be familiar with many of Ann Patchett's books, beginning with Bel Canto and most recently, The Dutch House. Here Patchett steps away from her fiction, and publishes a collection of interesting and touching essays.
I read this book (thanks for the recommendation, Caryl) at a time that required some waiting. The essays were engrossing and positive, both of which I appreciated. But they were also easy to pick up and put down, and a pleasure to return to.
Patchett writes about a wide variety of topics: trying to clean out her home; about her three fathers, with a photo of them together; about book publishing and owning a book store; about pets and about travel; and of course, about writing. The final and best essay, about a deep covid friendship that arrived unexpectedly, is touching and shows Patchett's humanity.
In addition to enjoying Patchett's writing, you will enjoy the cover art every time you pick the book up. The front shows her cute and cuddly dog, and the back, an equally colorful pileated woodpecker.
These Precious Days is a beautiful book, just as the title leads you to expect.
"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." -- Publishers Weekly(starred review)
"An enviable life shared with candor, emotion, and knockout storytelling power." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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