Ann Patchett (This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage) ties together the 22 essays in These Precious Days in surprising ways, building to moving moments with layers of complexity.
In the opening piece, "Three Fathers," a photograph captures the author with her biological father and two stepfathers. Patchett's father recalls that Mike, her aspiring-writer stepfather, said to the other two men, "You know what she's doing, 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."
The entire collection, written in the throes of the pandemic, and thus contemplating humanity's fleeting time on earth, brims with humor and humility. "How to Practice," an essay about letting go of things no longer essential ("I had miscalculated the tools of adulthood when I was young, or I had miscalculated the kind of adult I would be") ties into Patchett's treasured typewriters, which connects to her reading Tom Hanks's Uncommon Type, which leads to his audio recording of The Dutch House--and her friendship with Sooki Raphael, Hanks's personal assistant.
The story of Patchett's friendship with Sooki gives the book its title and provides its through line. Sooki's savoring of days, rediscovery of her art and appreciation of their newfound friendship reverberate with Patchett's husband's love of flying and his brush with mortality ("The Moment Nothing Changed"). Their cautious optimism very much draws a parallel with emerging from the cocoon that the pandemic forced upon the world. This collection--both of its time and also timeless--is to be treasured. --Jennifer M. Brown, senior editor, Shelf Awareness