Fly your book-nerd flag high! Get your book-nerd T-Shirts and more here!
Find more One Man Book Club Reviews here!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained

Theo of Golden
By: Allen Levi
My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE Stars
Best For: 16 and up (for pacing, not content)

Theo of Golden: A Masterpiece of Kindness, Connection, and SEEING

I can count on one hand the number of books that have actually made me cry. Not that I’m unemotional—on the contrary, being comfortable with public tears is practically one of my superpowers. That just tells you how incredibly special this book is. Theo of Golden simply made me feel GOOD. It made me want to be BETTER. I cannot say enough about it. I love Theo, I love this story, I love how it made me feel while reading, and I love how I’m still feeling now that it’s over.

What’s it about?

One spring morning, an 86-year-old Portuguese stranger named Theo arrives in the small southern town of Golden, Georgia. He asks a lot more questions than he answers, taking in the town, the people, the birds, the flowers–everything around him with loving curiosity. When he visits the local coffeehouse, The Chalice, he discovers ninety-two lifelike pencil and charcoal portraits of local residents hanging on the walls, drawn by a local artist. Theo begins purchasing the portraits one by one with a singular mission: to place them back into the hands of their “rightful owners”–the subjects of each drawing. With each gift, a personal story is shared, a bond is forged, and lives across the town are quietly, profoundly altered.

What did I think?

Theo of Golden is an absolute treasure. The central theme of truly SEEING others—and allowing yourself to be seen—resonates so hard for me. Allen Levi has crafted a beautifully quiet, emotionally resonant story about generosity, grace, kindness and the invisible threads that bind us human beings together.

While the ending is foreshadowed right from the opening pages, the journey and the reveals along the way are left to be discovered to the absolute joy of the reader. It deals with quiet grief, human frailty, and unconditional love with such tenderness. It is slower-paced and contemplative, but every single sentence is worth savoring. I’ve sprinkled highlighted phrases throughout so I’ll have the wisdom close at hand. It earns every single happy tear.

Sensitive Content: No profanity, violence, or sexual content. Thematic elements dealing with aging, quiet grief, loss, and human frailty.

Should you read it?

Yep. If your soul needs a lift, or if you want a deeply moving, heartwarming reminder of the power of everyday kindness, read this immediately. This dad says Theo of Golden is best for 16 and up (due to its slow, literary pacing).

Happy Reading!