These precious days

Resumen del libro

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays.


Any story that starts will also end. As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming.

Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart.

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 womanToms brilliant assistant Sookiwith whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both.

A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight.

Turning her writers eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be.

From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillos childrens books (author of the upcoming The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultzs Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the authors grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible markand demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

Biografía del autor

ANN PATCHETT es autora de nueve novelas, cuatro libros de no ficción y dos libros infantiles. Graduada por el Sarah Lawrence College y el Iowa Writer's Workshop, Patchett ha recibido numerosos premios y becas: la National Humanities Medal, el England's Women's Prize, el PEN/Faulkner Award, el Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award de la American Academy of Arts and Letters, el Book Sense Book of the Year, una beca Guggenheim, el premio The Chicago Tribune's Heartland, The Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, el American Bookseller's Association's Most Engaging Author Award y el Women's National Book Association's Award. Su novela La casa holandesa fue finalista del Premio Pulitzer. Sus libros han figurado en las listas de libros notables y bestsellers del periódico New York Times. Su obra se ha traducido a más de treinta idiomas.