March 11, 2022
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
Genre/Categories: Nonfiction, Memoir, Essay Collection, Reflection
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
My Summary:
These Precious Days is a collection of personal essays and reflections from popular author, Ann Patchett. These essays explore home, family and fathers, marriage, friendships, meaning and purpose, love and death, life decisions, and writing.
“…find joy…and make good use of the days we have”
My Thoughts:
I don’t often read a book for the cover, but isn’t this the cutest cover?!
How to Review a Memoir? I find it difficult to review memoirs. How do you review someone’s life and personal reflections? So, for this post I will briefly and sincerely state that I think you’ll enjoy this thoughtful, poignant, and well-written memoir/essay collection (even if you’ve never read an Ann Patchett book). Patchett touches on issues that most of us face in life: Do I want children? How do I react when my mother has three marriages and I end up with three father figures? How do I meet the needs of my friend who has cancer? Patchett takes her personal experiences and finds universal truths which might apply to each of our lives. Fans of Patchett will love her transparet and honest reflections.
Favorite Thoughts: Although each essay is poignant and meaningful, I found her reflections on her three fathers and the role each plays in her life to be especially thoughtful and interesting!
Reading Ann Patchett: I have her most famous work, Bel Canto, on my TBR. I enjoyed The Dutch House narrated by Tom Hanks; however, Commonwealth wasn’t as enjoyable for me. Are you an Ann Patchett fan?
Recommended: I enthusiastically recommend These Precious Days for fans of memoir and of Patchett and for readers who enjoy thoughtful and well-written reflections.
Content Consideration: terminal cancer
My Rating: 4 Stars
These Precious Days Information Here
Related: The Dutch House
Meet the Author, Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, including Bel Canto, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, the Financial Times, the Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee and is co-owner of Parnassus Books.
QOTD:
Is These Precious Days on your TBR or have you read it?
Are you an Ann Patchett fan?
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She is a busy person!
Quite!
To answer your question, I am a huge Ann Patchett fan! My first book by her was Bel Canto and it probably remains my favorite. I have These Precious Days on my shelf but haven’t read it yet so I’m glad you liked it. Great review.
Thanks Debi! Great to hear from you! I think you’ll enjoy this memoir. Bel Canto holds the record I think for most overlooked book on my TBR! I need to remedy this situation!
That cover is adorable! I agree with you, it is hard to review a memoir. You did great! I have Bel Canto on my TBR, but have not read anything else by Patchett. She sounds like an author I would like, so I hope to get around to reading her one of these days.
Thanks Gretchen! Her books are very character driven.
Memoirs are so hard to rate! I try to focus on the writing.
And this writer is super readable in every way!
Nice review!
I devoured Bel Canto and State of Wonder, but then was very disappointed by Commonwealth, which I didn’t even find well written at all. So after that, I’ve not picked another one by her yet.
Thanks! 🙌 I didn’t enjoy Commonwealth either….too dismal for me at the time. I enjoyed Dutch House because it was narrated by Tom Hanks …not sure I would have appreciated it as much in print. Her fiction seems to focus on sad dysfunctional family drama.
That cover is adorable! I also find it difficult to review memoirs, so I try to talk about the persons writing style more than the content.
I got called out once on Goodreads for criticizing a memoir! It’s made reviewing memoirs extra difficult! Thanks for commenting Leann!
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