and memory--in both the private

ever whistle at night

stories that reveal a profound and sacred connection to the American landscape and a reverence for the natural world

the poems gathered here illuminate the human condition

and Ojibwe language and culture enthusiasts ages fourteen and above

These Precious Days plays and memory--in both the private"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