Theo of Golden: A Novel

Our Review:

There's something quietly magical about this book that sneaks up on you. Theo arrives in Golden as a mystery, but the novel isn't really interested in solving him – it's more interested in what happens when someone pays genuine attention to the people around them. Each portrait he returns becomes a doorway into someone's life, and Levi handles these small, intimate stories with real tenderness.

The pace is gentle, almost meditative. If you're looking for plot twists or urgency, this isn't that book. It unfolds like a series of conversations over coffee, which means some readers might find it too slow. But if you're in the mood to sit with something that feels unhurried and hopeful without being saccharine, it really delivers.

What stuck with me most was how the book treats ordinary people as worthy of being seen – not because they're extraordinary, but because they're human. It's the kind of read that made me want to be a little kinder, a little more curious about the people I pass every day. Perfect for anyone who loved books like A Man Called Ove or needs something restorative after a string of heavier reads.