When our book club came together for our last meeting, I was pleased to be elected as the person responsible for choosing the next book we read. We choose at random, taking turns, and when my name was selected, I was more than happy to suggest Theo of Golden by Allen Levi because I had it marked as ‘want to read’ on Goodreads.
I read the plot of the story, and seeing the incredible reviews for this book, in combination with the insane wait list for people to get their hands on it, made it a rather obvious choice as my own recommendation for book club.
I have never read a book like Theo of Golden, and the fact that this book is Levi’s debut novel is fucking crazy. You’ll understand what I mean by that when you read it; the blending of storytelling and one of the most unique plots I have ever come across in a book has allowed this one to be one of the most moving and inspirational novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Theo of Golden tells the story of a man named Theo. No last name is provided, and it becomes apparent relatively early on in the story that Theo is intentionally keeping his identity under wraps. Theo, an elderly gentleman, moves into a small southern town known as Golden and quickly takes an interest in the local landmarks. One such landmark is a well-known coffee shop, and Theo is struck by the art on the walls inside the cafe – they are covered in pencil portraits of all sorts of individuals who have been customers at the cafe at one point or another. Theo gets the idea to purchase these portraits and return them to the faces that inspired them, and in doing so, he manages to establish bonds and relationships with all sorts of people and learn their own stories in the process.
This book is positively excellent. I can’t recommend it enough, and it is absolutely a read.
Photo by Matias North on Unsplash
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