''These Precious Days'' is a 2021 essay collection by American writer
Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett (born December 2, 1963) is an American author. She received the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction in the same year, for her novel ''Bel Canto (novel), Bel Canto''. Patchett's othe ...
. It received “rave” reviews and became a
''New York Times'' best seller.
Publication
''These Precious Days'' was published on November 23, 2021, by
Harper
Harper may refer to:
Names
* Harper (name), a surname and given name and place names, for example: Harper Islands, Nunavut.
Places
;in Canada
* Harper Islands, Nunavut
* Harper, Prince Edward Island
;In the United States
*Harper, former name ...
.
The 336-page collection contains 24 essays, some previously published but revised for the collection.
Contents
The essays range in subject, but often consider relationships in Patchett's personal and professional life, including with her father and stepfathers; her decision not to have children; the close friendship she develops in the early days of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
with
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
' assistant Sooki Raphael. Patchett's life as a writer, from her earliest grade school writing, through college and graduate school, magazine writing, novels and ultimately selling books at her
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
independent bookstore Parnassus Books, is woven throughout.
Reception
According to the review aggregator
Book Marks
''Literary Hub'' or ''LitHub'' is a daily literary website that was launched in 2015 by Grove Atlantic president and publisher Morgan Entrekin, American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame editor Terry McDonell, and '' Electric Literatur ...
, the essay collection received mostly "rave" reviews from critics. ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' gave ''These Precious Days'' a
starred review
A starred review is a book review marked with a star to denote a book of distinction or particularly high quality. A starred review can help to increase media coverage, bookstore placement and sales of a book.
Outlets that published starred review ...
, calling it “eloquent” and saying Patchett writes “poignantly—and often with wry humor”.
In ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', Alex Witchel called the collection “excellent”, saying “Patchett’s heart, smarts and 40 years of craft create an economy that delivers her perfectly understated stories emotionally whole.” In ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', Michele Filgate praised Patchett's “welcoming and comforting” prose.
On December 12, 2021, ''These Precious Days'' made
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list for hardcover non-fiction, and has remained on it through January 2, 2022. Former US president
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
named it to his list of favorite books he read in 2021.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:These Precious Days
2021 non-fiction books
HarperCollins books
Essay collections