By Allen Levi – Atria, 2025
If you read just one novel from 2025, let it be Theo of Golden. Theo arrives in the small town of Golden as a mysterious, benevolent stranger and is quickly accepted by the locals. In the town café, he lingers over a wall of portraits depicting 92 people he doesn’t know and resolves to purchase and return the artwork to its subjects.
The story follows Theo through moments that appear simple—an unhurried conversation, a small kindness, a friendship that quietly takes hold—but resonate with surprising depth. We know little about him beyond his deep knowledge of the arts, yet through each portrait and its recipient, we see how fully he notices others. Before long, we’re invested in the tender ways people shape one another simply by showing up and being seen.
Reflective and character-driven, this novel offers cozy, small-town charm without veering into sentimentality. Theo of Golden is comforting without being sugary, hopeful without being preachy—a book to linger over and return to when you need reassurance about what matters most: connection, kindness and belonging.
