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These Precious Days: Essays

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And there is a delightful essay on the art of bookcovers and what goes into the decision. Ann Patchett talks about one of my favorite books of hers and certainly one of my favorite book covers, The Dutch House. Ann Patchett realized that Maeve was the heart of the book and she commissioned a favorite artist to create a portrait of Maeve that hung in the Dutch House dining room. I remember holding my breath as I realized that the stunning book cover was Maeve. Ms. Patchett speaks to that in this cover: There’s just something about the way Patchett writes that just draws me in. There’s a quiet beauty to her words, and her essays feel like stories in many ways. I was utterly captivated by characters I’ll never meet but I was fully invested in their lives. What I have read is the title story, a novella, really, from Patchett’s book which is expected to be published in November 2021. the power of not shopping for a year, gift giving, joy, sadness, crying, laughing, grief, suffering, feeling bad, feeling good, people who have influenced and shaped Ann’s life.

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. Hi Lesley, gosh going to Patchett’s bookstore while you are in Nashville would be ideal! Very cool. I hope to go someday. I know what you’re saying about getting the perfect open time for a particular book. I do that as well. The audio is pretty good and it’s not too long. You might also like her last collection if you haven’t already listened to that one. One of my very favorite short story or essay collections is To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts by Caitlin Hamilton Summie, and These Precious Days is right up there at the top. This is phenomenal.Hey thanks for your thoughts. Yeah this essay collection was a bit all over too (several didn’t grab me) … but 6 of the 23 were strong enough on me to make a positive impression. I’m glad you told me about the new Atwood essay book. Interesting I just read Garner’s review. He really hated “the speeches” in it, which sound dull dull. The three he mentions that are decent (non-speech ones) could be worth a perusal. I’m not a big essay reader (though another blogger told me to read Quindlen’s Lots of Candles collection) … and Atwood is quirky. accidentally bought a large print edition of this and i have just one question: why isn't every book a large print edition My cousin introduced me years ago to the wonders of Ann Patchett’s fictional stories like Bel Canto and The Magician’s Assistant. More recently, I devoured the audio of The Dutch House read by none other than Tom Hanks.

Hey Stargazer. Yeah it is depressing not being able to do things as we once did. I’m assuming you’re still young though right? My tennis is great fun & we play hard on the court but then I’m very creaky after and have to recover with medication for the knees etc. But we will see how long I can last. But any story that starts will also end. This is the way novelists think: beginning, middle, and end.”Thanks Heather. Yeah I think tennis is a life line for me — so I continue on until my knees are too terrible to play. We have fun. I’ve been fortunate to have read several good short story and essay collections this year. These Precious Days is no exception and the best of those I’ve read in 2021 — All of the essays in this collection are at least good, almost all great. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer's Workshop, Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, ... Hi. I hope everyone is doing well. We had a nice hike Sunday morning in the nearby mountains along the river with the dogs. It was not too strenuous, which is good because unfortunately my knees are not too good anymore. I’ve been told I will need knee replacements in a couple years. Ugh. It’s hard to believe but something I have to deal with. I’ve been playing sports and running most of my life so now in middle age things fall apart, which is a bummer. I’m still able to play competitive tennis (doubles) three times a week wearing knee sleeves, but we’ll see how long I can continue. You look so much alike,' the nurse would say quietly, not wanting to disturb us more than we were already disturbed.

It was a good yarn for the grieving because even on the days I did nothing, I could point to my knitting and say to myself, Look at all I’ve done.” 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.

John Updike, Philip Roth, and Saul Bello, we’re definitely influencers.. but there were others - other books - other teachers - other people…. Three Fathers": Ann Patchett had three fathers because her mother had three marriages, two of which ended in divorce. At her sister's wedding, Ann realized all three of the men, who were never together for obvious reasons, would be in the same place at the same time. So she had her photo taken with them. One of the dads astutely observed to the other two, "You know what she's going to do, don't you? She's going to wait until the three of us are dead and then she's going to write about us. This is the picture that will run with the piece." He was right. Hey Wendy, thanks. I’m glad you mentioned that your aunts are doing well after knee replacement surgery … that gives me hope that it’s not the end of the line for mobility. I still want to be able to hike and do activities afterwards. Overall , this is an extremely readable collection about family, friends, love and what really matters. Her passion for all things bookish shines through and if I’m ever in Nashville her bookshop Parnassus is a must visit. What I’ll take away from this is a feeling of warmth that emanates from the author and how she is prepared to stand up for what she thinks is right. Highly recommended.

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