In Praise of Early Nights: Essays for the happily unfashionable hour

June Alderwood

There is a particular contentment in saying goodnight while others are still deciding where to go. These essays make the case for the early hour without apology: the quiet satisfaction of a dark house at nine, what gets better with sleep that no amount of willpower replaces, and the small rituals that make bedtime feel chosen rather than surrendered to. Warm, companionable, and entirely at peace with being out of step.