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These Precious Days

Essays
Pages
336
Published
2021
Language
English

Synopsis

Ann Patchett reflects on the unexpected connections and quiet moments that shape a life. This collection of essays explores her deep friendship with a woman facing a terminal illness, her relationship with her father, and her lifelong love of literature. It is a meditation on what it means to live well and find meaning in the time we have left.

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About the author

A
Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved with her family to Nashville, Tennessee at age six. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. In 1990, during a residential fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, she wrote her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars, which was named a New York Times Notable Book for 1992. Her second novel, Taft (1994), was awarded the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for fiction. Her fo...

Frequently asked questions

  • Is this book a sequel to any of Ann Patchett's other works?

    This collection functions as a companion to her earlier nonfiction volume, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, as it continues the personal exploration of her life, family, and career.

  • What is the origin of the cover art?

    The cover features a painting of the author's dog, Sparky, created by Sooki Raphael, the central figure of the title essay.

  • How did the author's friendship with Sooki Raphael begin?

    The relationship started after Patchett read an early galley of a short story collection by Tom Hanks, which led to a professional connection and eventually a deep, personal bond with his assistant, Sooki.

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