Theo of Golden is a story of a mysterious elderly man named Theo and the many people he meets along the way. At 86 years old, Theo visits Golden, Georgia, carrying with him an appreciation for nature, art, music, and people. He pays close attention to the world around him. When he steps into a café and notices the 92 portraits hanging on the wall, he studies every single one of them.

As a reader, I found Theo was familiar and distant at the same time, which made me curious about his true intention from the very first few pages. And who he actually is because the story gives a clue that this man is actually not Theo? I kept wanting to understand who he really was and why he connected so deeply with the people he met. There is something sad and touching in the way the story unfolds through these encounters. I also loved how Theo could look at a painted face, find the right words for it, and later meet the person behind it. Somehow, the words he chose matched the people’s life in a way that personal and moving.

“And I learned something from Mr. Theo. God gave us faces so we can see each other better. I used to not look at people’s faces so much. But I’m learning.”

Allen Levi, Theo of Golden

Theo’s ability to see through people while still holding on to his own mystery made the story even more interesting for me. That balance was a big reason I wanted to keep turning the pages.

The ending was my favorite part of the book. It was satisfying in a way I did not expect, and it finally brought everything together. The questions I had been carrying in the back of my mind while reading were answered. It gave the story a strong finish and left me with a warm and emotional feeling.

However, sadly, I did feel that the book lacked enough depth in some parts between the bigger reveals. There were moments when the story wanted to introduce the meaning behind the paintings, but the emotional build-up did not always feel strong enough. Because of that, some middle sections felt slower than I hoped.

The main plot reminded me of Remarkably Bright Creatures. Both books explore human lives and emotions, but they do it in total different ways. Theo of Golden reaches across many different personal stories, while Remarkably Bright Creatures focuses on fewer stories with more depth and richer emotional writing. That book gave me sadness, warmth, and humor in a more memorable way. If I had to compare the two, I personally loved Remarkably Bright Creatures more because it held my attention and emotions all the way through the story. With Theo of Golden, there were a few moments in the middle where I lost focus and started to feel a little bored.

Well, to conclude, Theo of Golden is a warm and touching book with a dramatic ending. Even though the pacing did not always work for me, Theo as a character made the journey worth following.

My Favorite Bits

• “the older I get, the more convinced I am that every hurt the world has ever known is somehow the fault of every person who ever lived. Maybe not directly and never entirely, but somehow, I fear, we own all of the world’s hurts together”

• “It’s all bitter. Bitter, hurtful tears. He cries some ever’day. Every day this world give Him reason, us too, to cry some mo”

• “Sadness can make us bitter or wise. We get to choose.”

• “There is no virtue in advertising one’s sadness. But there is no wisdom in denying it either. And there is the beautiful possibility that great love can grow out of sadness if it is well-tended.”

• “My expertise in sadness is hard-earned. But I realize more and more that it is a gift. Living with sadness.”

• “His decision to live small made him larger than life.”

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Author: Allen Levi
Publication date: 11 October 2023
Number of pages: 400 pages

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