THESE PRECIOUS DAYS

“That’s what I got from these books, the ability to walk through the door where everything I thought had been lost was in fact waiting for me. All of it. The trick was being brave enough to look.”

This wise and wonderful collection of essays won my heart! These Precious Days defies a simple “this is about...” synopsis, but it explores life choices, mortality, being a celebrated writer, and what it means to find deep and abiding friendship and love. In each essay, Patchett masterfully disassembles bits and pieces of her own life, and in putting them back together, somehow makes your life make more sense, too.

It’s difficult to describe why I loved these essays so much, other than the obvious answer of brilliant writing. But when the world is upside down, it can feel urgently necessary to read about a writer’s beloved dog, a long ago trip to Vienna, or the magic of children’s literature. Some essays are nostalgic; some are firmly, brightly in the present. They’re unhurried, introspective, matter of fact. Most of all, they capture the essence of what’s personal and then contextualize it to feel inexplicably, miraculously, universal.

In one of my favorite essays, Peanuts, Patchett shares all she learned from Snoopy about dogs, life and being a writer. Peanuts inspired these classic Peanut Butter Blossom cookies, accompanied by a cocoa-peppermint version for my chocolate-loving family. I wanted to create some deeply satisfying, unfussy cookies where the ingredients are perfectly chosen and made better together, much like the Peanuts gang, and the collection itself. I’d never made these before but they’ll be on repeat through the holidays, as I gift this glorious book to everyone I know!