These Precious Days: Essays

by Ann Patchett

Nell went on to tell me that she had just finished reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to her son, and that it had cracked them open and made them better people. “You have to tell her that for me,” Nell said. “Will you do that?” I didn’t have Kate DiCamillo’s e-mail address, but I was pretty sure I could find her. Except that I didn’t want to find her. I knew she was a fan of my work, but I hadn’t read anything she’d written because in my adult life I’d never made a habit of reading children’s literature. Even after having lunch with her and hearing her speak, it hadn’t occurred to me to read one of her books. I’d been operating under the assumption that children’s literature was a matter for children, but what if I changed my mind? If owning a bookstore had taught me anything, it was to broaden my interests and forget my assumptions about what I liked and didn’t like. Instead of going to look for the author, I decided to find the book.