OUR REVIEW:
Theo of Golden has been on all of the lists for a while and so of course I reserved it on Libby. I had to see if it lived up to the hype; it, in my mind, has been linked with The Bright Years and The Correspondent and those were so good that I had hopes that this one would be too.
There were definitely touching moments in Theo of Golden. I liked the protagonist and his merry band of small town characters; he was kind and considerate and mysterious. This had all of the pieces and parts that work for me: good characters and a question that was begging to be answered. The writing was solid. So what didn't work, if anything? Afterall, I gave it 4 stars, so what's my issue? For me, it dragged. I need more breadcrumbs to lead me to the big reveal and it felt like there were times they came sparingly. In retrospect, maybe that was part of the point? He didn't want to be known, really; he wanted to know others, to serve others, to elevate them and but by doing that his mysterious background became even more intriguing, not less.
So ultimately, yes, I enjoyed Theo of Golden; I'd definitely read another of Levi's books--I appreciate that he gave me a character to aspire to.
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SYNOPSIS:
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.
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.
