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Book Reviewed by: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.
Prologue
Theo was in Golden for only a year, from springtime to spring-time. He arrived just before Easter, when the Boughery and the Promenade were an ocean of dogwood blooms and azaleas. When pollen settled like a lemon patina on every exposed surface in the city.
Over time, his friends would learn that he had a great fondness for rivers. Be it the Douro of his childhood, the Seine of his glory days, the Hudson of his retirement, or the half dozen others that flowed through his various hometowns, he had a riparian instinct that seemed to draw him toward moving water. Growing up in a maritime nation might have had something to do with it.
Perhaps every son of Portugal has the sojourning spirit of Magellan in his blood.
Whatever the reason, it is not surprising that he chose to live beside the Oxbow when he was in Golden. From his back window, facing west, he could see it at any hour of the day. From just outside his back door, three stories up, he could hear it. Or so he said.
At every ...
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (5/14/2026)
...continues to be heartbreaking, but so worth it. And I've started reading https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5133/theo-of-golden Theo of Golden by Allen Levi for my local book club meeting at the end of the month.
-Lana_Maskus
What’s the last book you spent money on, what format was it in, and why did you choose it?
Although I'm a big library user, I ended up buying a copy of "Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi, available only in paperback, upon the recommendation of a friend for two reasons: the hold list was quite long and she said it was a book she'd need to read a second time. Although I'm loaning it to a cou...
-Carol_Ann_Robb
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (2/26/2026)
I finished "This Book Made Me Think of You" by Libby Page & enjoyed it, liked the book recommendations & effect they had on Tilly, really liked Alfie and the bookstore aspect, but parts were predictable and a bit unrealistic. Now I'm reading "Theo of Golden" by Allen Levy, slower paced than most ...
-Carol_Ann_Robb
Jane’s publicist tells her, “Books don’t have to be good to sell. They just need a catchy hook, a good cover, and the most important part – visibility. Once you and your book cover are everywhere, people will buy it.” Do you think this is true?
...I trust before purchasing a book. I do love that sometimes the public pushes a book through. For example, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and now Theo of Golden by Allen Levi became successful because of word of mouth not the publisher or book influencers.
-Dee_Driscole
Books I recommend
Continuing a conversation with @Carol_N from elsewhere - Happy new year. Here are a few book suggestions: The lost baker of Vienna-Sharon Kurtzman Earth's the right place for love-Elizabeth Bing If it makes you happy-Julia Oliva The Exiles -Christina Baker Kline Theo of Golden -Allen Levi These s...
-Beth_M
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (12/18/2025)
...hoice for you right now, IMHO. Feel good books: 2025 BookBrowse favorite https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5133/theo-of-golden Theo of Golden by Allen Levi https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/4496/all-the-lonely-people All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle https://www.bookbrowse.com/re...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (11/13/2025)
...for Haven't Killed in Years so drop by!) I also read https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/23610/theo-of-golden Theo of Golden by Allen Levi for review. It was one of those feel-good novel that helps you refocus on the good around you - much needed in the current climate. Finally, I read h...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (11/6/2025)
...s, and Kitchen Objects by Bee Wilson. This was a great book, especially if you share a fondness for kitchen objects, as I do. This week, I am reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi - so far, I love this one too!
-Judith_V
What’s the last book you purchased? Why did you select it? Paperback, hardback or ebook?
...ook I bought - and this was just, maybe, Monday - was https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/23610/theo-of-golden Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I hope this isn't a spoiler, but it made it on to our list of Best Books for 2025. I looked it up and saw it getting rave reviews, so I went ahead &...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (09-11-2025)
I just finished Theo of Golden by Allen Levy and I thought it was a beautifully written masterpiece! I had noticed that it has received across the board 5 star reviews and now I know why. This wonderful book explores profound themes which include generosity, forgiveness and healing, and the goodn...
-Laurie_L
What are you reading this week? (8/21/2025)
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.
-Holly_K
What books have you enjoyed so far in 2025, what books are you looking forward to reading?
Kim, I highly recommend Theo of Golden by Allen Levi and Lady days of Night by Graham Moore. Both older books I never heard of but were fabulous surprises.
-Beth_M
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BookBrowse Awards
2025
Readers are encouraged to see those around them through Theo's eyes, focusing on their gifts rather than their failings. People of faith will almost certainly find inspiration here; Theo firmly believes in the goodness of God and encourages the faith of others by word and by deed. While there is a Christian slant, the book is never preachy, and the author's message of compassion is universal. From a literary standpoint, Theo of Golden does have a couple of weaknesses. There are a few unpleasant characters Theo interacts with, and they are incredibly one-dimensional. My big complaint, though, is that I felt there could have been a stronger narrative arc...continued
Full Review
(770 words)
(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
In Allen Levi's novel Theo of Golden, the protagonist moves to a small city in Georgia
where he forms friendships with many of the town's residents. Among these are a young
man studying the cello at a nearby university and a street musician who plays guitar for
tips; the three bond over discussions about music. Theo, who is from Portugal, mentions
a musical genre called the fado, and later, a fado written by the local musicians features
in an important scene.
Fado de Lisboa—Lisbon fado—evolved in the port town of
Lisbon, Portugal, in the early 19th century. Meaning "fate" or "destiny" in English, the fado
is a song generally about yearning—pining for lost love or lost youth, sorrow for what
might have been,...
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