Book Review: Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi

 

Book Review: Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi

It is not surprising that Hollywood wants to make this novel into a movie. The first 90% is a calm but insightful journey into the lives of ordinary people who live in Golden. Everyone has a history and everyone has pain and challenges in their lives. Theo’s interaction with those he gifts help them deal with their pain and challenges in his gentle and wise probing to get them to open up. He is mum about himself. The values and behaviors he espouses are very traditional. 

In many respects, Theo’s conversations reflect a wisdom and insight that might make the reader believe that Theo is somehow a divinely inspired messenger. It is only at the very end, when we learn Theo’s backstory, that we understand that his wisdom, generosity, and care for others comes from the pain of his own life, many decades of experience. Not that he is an unbeliever, not that he isn’t guided by divine inspiration, but that the reason he is there is not because God told him to go to Golden and minister. He is simply an example of how one ought to treat one’s fellow man. Ordinary people should treat others in this way. 

The key question is what is the core of Theo’s approach to ministering to people. There is no simple checklist, but his approach exhibited several common characteristics. He was generous and complimentary, buying portraits and then giving them to the subjects, identifying positive character traits that seemed evident in the portrait. He met with them in a public place so that they would not fear some secret assignation. He gently asked them about their lives, probing only as information was volunteered. He encouraged people in their struggles. He followed up appropriately, including generous financial support for things like medical bills. He was not a respecter of wealth, but cared more about the poor and working class, although he was able to also deal with the well-to-do. He was not put off by any types of people or personalities except those so full of themselves that they mistreated others. He also liked the peace and quiet that he was able to get.

This is not a book to be rushed through, but to be savored. The ending is unexpected but satisfying.