These Precious Days is a collection of essays penned and put together by Patchett during the coronavirus pandemic. How do you think this context has influenced the ideas and themes explored in the book? Substantiate with examples from the text.

Patchett describes the process of having arrived at the cover art for this collection in the essay “Cover Stories.” Keeping this and the artist in mind, comment on the significance of the book jacket. What does the painting of Sparky symbolize?

The importance of relationships is explored in detail across multiple essays in the book. Trace the important relationships Patchett mentions and describes in the book and their impact on her life.