In the Introduction to These Precious Days, <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Character" href="https://www.supersummary.com/these-precious-days/key-figures/#375356">Ann Patchett</a> describes how the collection of essays came to be. Although she had been in an essay-writing spate, after penning the title piece, Patchett decides she wants it to be housed in a book. This essay is about Patchett’s friend and artist, <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Character" href="https://www.supersummary.com/these-precious-days/key-figures/#375357">Sooki Raphael</a>, who battled pancreatic cancer. Patchett invited Sooki to stay with her while participating in a clinical trial in Nashville, where Patchett lives. Early in the trial, the coronavirus pandemic struck, and Sooki was stranded at Patchett’s house for longer than anticipated. This allowed Patchett to witness and be a part of Sooki’s experience in an intimate way. The emergence of the novel virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), led to a global pandemic. The first case of this severely contagious and deadly disease was identified in the Wuhan province in China in December 2019, leading the disease to be termed COVID-19. The high transmissibility of the virus, combined with disease symptoms ranging from undetectable to deadly, led to panic worldwide as the virus rapidly spread across borders and caused millions of deaths. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Social Context: The Coronavirus Pandemic

Humanities

Books & Literature

Society

Community

Nonfiction

Essays & Speeches

Relationships

Family

Friendship

Inspiring Biographies

Life & Time

Mortality & Death

Best Sellers

New York Times Best Sellers

Popular Book Clubs

Popular Book Club Picks

The Best of "Best Book" Lists

Book Events

Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Ann Patchett

Adult

Essay Collection

Guide

Study Guide

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore These Precious Days and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

These Precious Days Summary and Study Guide

contentWarning

Background

These Precious Days Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Essay 6

These Precious Days Introduction-Essay 6 Summary & Analysis

Essays 7-13

These Precious Days Essays 7-13 Summary & Analysis

Essays 14-19

These Precious Days Essays 14-19 Summary & Analysis

Essay 20-Epilogue

These Precious Days Essay 20-Epilogue Summary & Analysis

keyFigure

Key Figures

These Precious Days Key Figures

theme

Themes

These Precious Days Themes

Symbols & Motifs

These Precious Days Symbols & Motifs

quote

citation

character

Important Quotes

These Precious Days Important Quotes with Page Numbers

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

These Precious Days Essay Topics

These Precious Days: Essays

Background

Related Titles

Featured Collections