Book Review: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Have you heard of this breakout book, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi yet? When it arrived on my doorstep a few months ago, I felt like the last person in the world to know about it, because this is the kind of story that self-published authors dream of; it was self-published in 2023 and sold 150,000 copies (physical and e-book!), So it was then purchased by Simon and Schuster who released it in 2025 continuing to sell very well. Everyone seems to love this book, and I really enjoyed it too. I wasn’t blown away by it, but I can confirm it’s a lovely little read.

Plot Summary

An old man, known only as “Theo” descends on the small town of Golden, in the Southern United States. His reason for being there is unknown, but he is new and interested in staying there for the time being. Being a very kindly, open and polite person, he quickly strikes up conversations with many of the townspeople, finding a beautiful apartment to stay in that’s right on their main street, and settling into a daily routine of visiting the local coffee shop, The Chalice. Upon his first visit there, he is captivated by the hand-drawn portraits on the wall for sale, created by a local artist. There are almost 100 of them, and they are simple sketches, with only the name of the subject written on the back. Always excited to delight in the beauty of the world around him, including these works of art, Theo decides to purchase these pieces and track down the subjects in order to give them the pictures of themselves. With a little help from his new friends, and a seemingly generous amount of personal wealth to aid in this process, Theo sits down with the recipients individually, gifting them their portrait, and asking them about their life story. Through these acts of kindness and connection, he expands his friend circle in Golden while giving people the opportunity to be truly seen by someone.

My Thoughts

I think much of the hype of this book is due to its timely reminder of the importance of slowing down. Theo is considered somewhat odd because he loves to simply observe things. He appreciates beauty for beauty’s sake, and spends hours staring at the portraits in the Chalice as he decides which batch to buy next and give out. The depth of a person’s face, and the importance of really looking at and appreciating other faces is a theme we return to again and again in this story, and with our decline in face-to-face interactions these days, a well-written and engaging story highlighting this is understandably met with success. It’s relatable too, because Theo’s apartment in Golden is in a very busy part of town where he often hears the late-night bar hopping of students, but he makes an effort to spend lots of time in nature too. He walks along the river, enjoying the flowers of a neighbor’s garden, and looking for various species of birds that are new to him. One doesn’t need to live in the country or travel to exotic locales to immerse themselves in the outdoors, they only need to open their eyes to what’s in front of them.

This book has been compared to the works of Fredrik Backman, and Matt Haig. I love both those writers, and it signaled to me that Levi’s book would have a certain universality to it, a focus on the human condition, etc. The tone of the books are all similar, and for this reason, it was a fair comparison. I was absorbed in the lives of the characters, and impressed by the goodness that shone through in them, even when placed in awful positions. However, there is something that Backman and Haig’s books have, that I found Theo of Golden was lacking: conflict. Yes, there are ups and downs in Theo’s life, yes, there are tragedies that befall many of the townspeople in Golden, and there is a shocking incident at the end of the story that I didn’t see coming, and yet, it all felt a bit too easy for me. The ideas represented by Theo’s actions were all palatable, easily understood and admirable, but I struggled to make myself care. I was simply hoping for more of a challenge.