📖 Book Review ~ Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Fontana 
2025

One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…

His name is Theo. And he asks a lot more questions than he answers.

Theo visits the local coffeehouse, where ninety-two pencil portraits hang on the walls, portraits of the people of Golden done by a local artist. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their “rightful owners.” With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered.

A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.

📖 My Review..

A mysterious octogenarian arrives in the small American town of Golden, known only by his first name, Theo, is intrigued by the beautifully drawn portraits which adorn the walls of the local coffee shop. An idea of returning the portraits to their original owners soon blossoms and with the help of a few people Theo begins his mission to purchase all ninety-two drawings. In returning them to their owners Theo learns much about the people of Golden and as he sprinkles a little of his magic over the town so lives begin to be changed by Theo’s special kindness.

Beautifully written, Theo of Golden is balm for the soul, it restored my faith in the goodness and kindness of strangers and showed that a good deed, however humble, can make such a difference to someone’s life. Paying it forward is not a new idea but the story does well to remind us of this concept and to live our lives with an awareness of others and to do good whenever and wherever we can.

“the best portion of a good person’s life is ‘the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

In this run up to Christmas , Theo of Golden is the book I never knew I needed to read but once read I know that I’ll never forget it.

About the Author

Allen Levi is attorney, judge, singer/songwriter and author. He lives in and cares for family acreage near a small town in Georgia, USA. Theo of Golden is his first novel.