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Book club questions for These Precious Days by Ann Patchett explore the fleeting nature of life, the importance of human connection, the intersection of personal and universal experiences and the impact of art and creativity.
For anyone who appreciates life and love and friendship, and generosity of spirit. This novel is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. And beautiful. One story at a time.
How did you like this collection of essays by Ann? ✨
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
In this blog post you will find the discussion questions for These Precious Days by Ann Patchett.
At the bottom of this post I also have some additional suggestions for novels that share similar themes and narratives, as well as PDF with printable discussion question you can use with your book clubs.
Book Club Questions | Additional Recommendations | Printable List
About the Novel
These Precious Days is a collection of heartfelt essays written by Ann Patchett, in which she reflects on various aspects of life, including home, family, friendships, and the art of writing.
The central essay explores an unexpected friendship with Tom Hanks’ assistant, Sooki, delving into the profound impact of human connections. Patchett’s writing is eloquent and intimate, inviting readers to explore the depths of her experiences and emotions.
She weaves together personal stories with universal themes, touching on childhood memories, literary influences, and the fleeting nature of life.
Through her words, Patchett reminds readers to cherish the precious moments in life and appreciate the beauty found in everyday experiences.
About the Author
Ann Patchett is a well-known author with nine engaging novels under her belt, including “Bel Canto” and “The Dutch House.”
She’s also edited collections like “Best American Short Stories” and written insightful nonfiction books like “This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.”
Ann’s efforts have won her impressive awards, and she’s a strong supporter of independent bookstores.
She lives in Nashville with her husband and dog, and her work continues to inspire readers around the world.
Book Club Questions for These Precious Days
Disclaimer: the following discussion questions contain spoilers, so proceed with caution if you haven’t finished the book yet.
- The central essay revolves around Ann Patchett’s unexpected friendship with Sooki, Tom Hanks’ assistant. How does this friendship redefine the meaning of connection and being seen by others?
- Discuss the impact of friendships on the author’s life as portrayed in different essays. How do these friendships shape her views on love, companionship, and human connection?
- The essays in the book capture various transformative moments in Patchett’s life. Which essay resonated with you the most, and why?
- How does Patchett navigate through life’s unexpected twists and turns, and what can readers learn from her experiences?
- In the essay “There Are No Children Here,” Patchett discusses her choice not to have children. How does her decision challenge societal expectations, and what insights does she offer about the complexities of this choice?
- Explore the themes of motherhood and womanhood in the context of Patchett’s narrative. How does her perspective on these topics influence her writing and her relationships?
- Patchett talks about her relationships with her three fathers. How does her unique family dynamic influence her perspective on identity and belonging?
- In the essay “The First Thanksgiving,” Patchett spends the holiday alone in her college dorm. How does this experience reflect the theme of family and home in the book?
- Several essays touch on themes of loss and acceptance. How does Patchett cope with loss, and how does she find solace in her writing and relationships?
- Patchett provides glimpses into her writing process and her discipline as a writer. How does her self-awareness and understanding of her own limitations contribute to her creativity and productivity? Discuss her approach to balancing writing with other aspects of her life.
- In the essay “The Nightstand,” Patchett revisits her early writings, exploring the tension between holding onto the past and embracing the present. How does this reflection on her past work inform her present writing journey?
- In what ways do the essays explore the acceptance of mortality and the fleeting nature of life? How does Patchett find beauty in impermanence?
- Patchett discusses the influence of literature and art in her life. How do books and creative expressions impact her worldview and personal growth?
- The collection grapples with the theme of mortality, especially in the face of Sooki’s illness. How does Patchett confront the realities of mortality, and what lessons can readers draw from her perspective on living fully in the present moment?
- Discuss the essay “How to Practice,” where Patchett contemplates the impermanence of life and the importance of appreciating the present. How can readers apply the principles of mindfulness and gratitude in their own lives, especially in challenging times?
- Throughout the book, Patchett emphasizes the significance of literature and art in her life. How do books and artistic expressions serve as lifelines for her and those around her, providing solace, inspiration, and connection?
- Explore the symbolism of Sooki’s painting of Patchett’s dog Sparky, which adorns the book cover. What does this artwork represent in the context of their friendship and the themes explored in the collection?
- Explore the essay “Cover Stories,” where Patchett talks about book covers. How does this essay shed light on the creative process and the significance of visual representation in literature?
- Patchett’s writing is often described as elegant and insightful. How does her writing style contribute to the emotional impact of the essays?
- Discuss specific passages or quotes from the book that left a lasting impression on you and why they resonated.
- In what ways did reading Patchett’s essays inspire personal reflection? Did any of her experiences or insights prompt you to reconsider your own views on life, friendship, or creativity?
- Share your own experiences related to friendship, unexpected connections, or moments of self-discovery that you found parallel to Patchett’s stories.
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed the book club discussion questions and reading guide for These Precious Days by Ann Patchett!
Here are some more of my book club recommendations related to this book:
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.
In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake.
As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.
As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.
To read my review of this book, click here.
For my book club questions and printable reading guide for this book, click here.
The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg
A spellbinding story of truce and trickery from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician series.
Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.
Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.
Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely―and Enna’s soul with him.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
A finalist for the Kirkus Prize, Andrew Carnegie Medal, Aspen Words Literary Prize, and a New York Times bestseller, this majestic, stirring, and widely praised novel from two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward, the story of a family on a journey through rural Mississippi, is a “tour de force” (O, The Oprah Magazine) and a timeless work of fiction that is destined to become a classic.
Jojo is thirteen years old and trying to understand what it means to be a man. He doesn’t lack in fathers to study, chief among them his Black grandfather, Pop. But there are other men who complicate his understanding: his absent White father, Michael, who is being released from prison; his absent White grandfather, Big Joseph, who won’t acknowledge his existence; and the memories of his dead uncle, Given, who died as a teenager.
His mother, Leonie, is an inconsistent presence in his and his toddler sister’s lives. She is an imperfect mother in constant conflict with herself and those around her. She is Black and her children’s father is White. She wants to be a better mother but can’t put her children above her own needs, especially her drug use. Simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she’s high, Leonie is embattled in ways that reflect the brutal reality of her circumstances.
When the children’s father is released from prison, Leonie packs her kids and a friend into her car and drives north to the heart of Mississippi and Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. At Parchman, there is another thirteen-year-old boy, the ghost of a dead inmate who carries all of the ugly history of the South with him in his wandering. He too has something to teach Jojo about fathers and sons, about legacies, about violence, about love.
Printable Discussion Questions
Feel free to distribute these questions to your book club members before your meeting. Simply click the link below to download and print the PDF file.
Happy reading! ❤️