Theo of Golden is one of those books that takes you by surprise with its subtlety. It starts out quiet, slowly moving along at a pace that some readers may find exasperating, but eventually sweeps you away into a story that makes you wonder about the lives that other people lead. Theo is one of those rare characters, and would be one of those rare people, who brings everyone together. From the story, the setting, the characters, and the ending, everything about Theo of Golden lets you think the story is quiet until you realize how gloriously loud it truly is. 

Theo, in the novel, is a mysterious man who simply wants to do good. He doesn’t talk about himself. He doesn’t bring up his own life. He simply lets other people do the talking when he meets them and when he bestows their portraits to them. He sees the depth in each person he meets, which brings many of those people to a greater understanding of themselves. All of the characters in this novel have depth and beauty and a certain pull to them. Theo is simply the most memorable. 

As the story goes on, you find out more about each of the characters and realize that Theo has many secrets himself. You slowly get to unfold everything about him and the true happiness he brought to everyone’s lives. 

Spoilers ahead.

The ending is absolutely devastating, if I’m being honest. Theo deserved more. He deserved to know that his friends, Simone and Ellen, were okay after their attack. He deserved to not die falling from the railing of his apartment as he reached out in anguish to the people he cared for. It really seriously broke my heart for him. 

As for the big reveal to his character? I knew it had to be something (I was honestly thinking mob boss looking for redemption haha), but a famous artist wasn’t on my list. It makes sense, obviously, and the way Allen Levi tied it all together was beautiful. I loved that Theo was the artist Asher wrote to as a boy. I loved that his mother was Theo’s one true love and Asher turned out to be his son. It all felt like this great revelation that made everything go full circle, and I can genuinely say that I didn’t expect it at all. 

Overall, this is definitely one of those books that you just don’t forget. It’s beautiful in its quietness and soft way of storytelling. Allen Levi did an amazing job of bringing Theo and Golden to life. Your faith will be restored. Your heart will be broken. You’ll be left wondering when you’ll ever find another book as deeply moving as this one. 5/5 stars for sure. 

Source: Audiobook from Audible

(P.S. You can read tons of books—including ones written by me—by trying a free trial of Kindle Unlimited!)