Theo of Golden

 Theo of Golden – Book Recommendation

I just read a deeply moving and thoughtful book, Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi, recommended by my friend Michael Daily. It is also a challenging book, challenging in that it calls me to a higher and deeper life in Christ and love and grace toward others. 

Here is the thing about this book recommendation, I can’t tell you what it is about. Well, I suppose I can tell you something. A gentle and quiet man visits a town in Georgia, has espresso in a coffee shop, sees portraits for sale by a local artist on the walls, and embarks on a mission to purchase each portrait and present it as a gift to the person captured in the portrait.

This is storytelling at its best, but it is more than that. It is sacramental. We see beyond what we see, we receive beyond what we see, what we read remains with us, and it takes root and grows within us. The power of this story is such that as I ponder it, new insights and questions unfold.

I am going back through Theo of Golden as I read it aloud to Vickie, savoring its rich texture. 

A question for me is, “Who has been Theo to me?” Another is, “Who can I be Theo to today?” Now for sure, there is more to this than may appear, that is an element of the discovery.

The last thing I’ll mention is that even though Theo of Golden is imbued with Christ Jesus, I would not classify it as a “Christian” book, but rather as a book written by a follower of Jesus and a fellow pilgrim. Nor would I call this a work of fiction. This is literature, it is as alive as my neighbor next door…and even more. Most of us can probably learn to play chopsticks on the piano, few of us can compose and play sweet music. Theo is sweet music, with a complex aroma, a bouquet if you will, like a fine port to be swished in the palette. 

I hope to write some reflections on Theo of Golden, but in the meantime, I encourage you to get to know him. Your life will be enriched. Below is the review I wrote on Amazon, which is where I purchased the book. 

Theo of Golden

A Golden Tapestry

The narrative tapestry is exquisite, with substantive character development, drawing the reader into the story, and the stories within the story. The questions the story raises, and the challenges it presents to the honest reader, make this surprising book a life partner, a friend to engage in conversation and accountability. I think that if I write anything more that I’ll spoil the adventure, and adventure it certainly is – an adventure without and within…and really now, isn’t that the best kind of adventure?