Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi ★★★★☆

In the small, fictional town of Golden, Georgia an elderly man appears one day. He's private but not reclusive, inquisitive but overly polite, and he takes pains to not be intrusive. When he meets townspeople, he introduces himself only as Theo, and he's intentionally vague or dissembling when some try to press him for more details about himself, his past, or his reason for being in town. Nevertheless, his inherent kindness and predilection for studying things—be it art, nature, music, architecture, or people—inevitably leads him to form bonds with a number of locals.

He also decides, while he's in town, to engage in a very specific campaign. A local artist has portraits of patrons displayed in the Chalice, a coffee shop in town. Theo decides his mission shall be to purchase the portraits, one-by-one, and bestow each upon the subject, or someone who loves them. He contacts the recipients by letter and presents his pitch:

"As I studied your portrait, ...I had a strong sense that it belonged in your possession, or in the possession of someone dear to you. After all, it only seems right that the finished work should go to the one who inspired it.

And so, I took the liberty of purchasing the piece with one purpose in mind. I would deem it an honor, and it would be a great kindness to me, if you would accept the portrait as a gift, to do with as you please."

He goes on to offer to meet them in front of the fountain in the center of town at a designated time, letting them know "it should take only a moment to give you the portrait, though I will have plenty of time to visit should you be inclined and able to do so." The reactions of people when presented with this quirky offer are predictably varied. But Theo is an 86-year-old man, unthreatening in stature and appearance, and even less threatening in temperament. There's a clear genteelness and propriety in both his letters and his interpersonal interactions, and as a result most often people set aside their doubts and Theo is able to connect with his intended recipients.

And so, the novel progresses. With each bestowal, we learn a new story. Also, with each bestowal, author Allen Levi turns the sappiness dial up a notch. From family issues, to money issues, to the injury or loss of family members, with each new person Theo meets we also learn about an ever-increasing challenge they have to deal with, only to have Theo reassure them and leave them feeling unburdened of some measure of the stress they carry, validated by Theo's intense interest and excellent listening skills, and ultimately buoyed by their interaction with their new friend.

There is some element of mystery—who is this perplexing older gentleman, and why is he in Golden? We know that Theo is wealthy, we know he's originally from Portugal and now lives primarily in New York, but the rest of his identity is kept secret until late in the novel. There is almost zero conflict. Theo meets a new person; he says something overly kind and sweet; the person feels seen and valued, especially someone who typically does not; everyone gets a little misty; rinse and repeat.

With respect to the legions of readers who love this book, there is a level of literary simplicity to it. The dialogue is not overly profound, the characters are more stock than not, and the stories more predictable than inventive. Levi does eventually lay bare the motivation for Theo's visit; there is a meaningful reason he is in Golden, specifically, and that helped raise my appreciation of the novel a smidge. However, my exaggerated expectations after seeing so many rave about the book, plus my generally ornery and cynical disposition worked against me here, and I never fell in love with Theo or this saccharinely sweet treatise on the inherent goodness of (most) people.

If you're looking for a book chock full of feel-good moments, with almost zero conflict, and an overly sweet disposition, this is for you. Those who enjoyed The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston and maybe even My Friends by Fredrik Backman will probably like this one as well. If you found those books a bit too pandering or sappy, you may want to skip spending time with Theo.