Theo of Golden

Theo of Golden is not a murder mystery, and it’s not a thriller. It is a wonderful read. Theo, an 86-year-old man suddenly appeared in Golden a small southern Georgia town. He was a wealthy man, but he was quite secretive of his own history. He talked only guardedly about his past and the source of his wealth. He did make friends of the locals, and he was especially enamored with the work of a local artist who was trying to market himself by drawing portraits of local people who frequented a certain coffee shop. The portraits were for sale, but no one was buying them, and the owner of the shop began posting them on the walls of his establishment. Theo hit on the idea of buying the inexpensive works and giving them to the subjects as long as they would reveal to him their stories. He also began to anonymously pay for other needs, like the medical care of those who could not afford it and rehabilitation costs to those in need.

Theo had talked about staying in Golden for at least a year. In that time, he became friends with many people, but when a year went by, he heard the sounds of an assault going on just outside the apartment he was renting. He went to intervene, but fell in the process and died. It was in response to Theo’s death that the author revealed some of Theo's secrets.

I’ll just say that this was a beautiful story about the benefits of charity and generosity. It is certainly not a story that I would seek out, but my daughters and my wife who are prolific readers all convinced me that I would enjoy the story. They were right. It left me thinking how I might be more generous and how listening to others tell their stories could be so enlightening and helpful. I’m not sure I’ve done the plot justice in this review, and I should add that the cast of characters with whom Theo interacted were most interesting. I’ll give this book a 4+ rating and I think you’ll be happy after diving into the story.