The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. 'The elegance of Patchett's prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike.' --Publisher's Weekly '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