An extended Reading the Bestsellers review of a 2025 book by Allen Levi
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Simon & Schuster, 2025. 400 pages. $20 (ebook $15, audio $30)
A novel with a sketch of a single feather on its cover lay open on my beach chair during a recent vacation when a passerby stopped,
“Oh, you’re reading Theo of Golden! Isn’t that a great book?!”
In that moment, we experienced the shared satisfaction of two strangers briefly united by a common response to a remarkable book.
And Theo of Golden is indeed a remarkable book. Originally self-published in 2023 by author Allen Levi, it became a “word-of-mouth smash hit” (NYT), so popular that it caught the attention of Simon and Schuster who published it in November of 2025. As of the end of March 2026, it has spent more than 14 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, hitting #1 in February.
However, this novel relies on few of the elements found in many other popular bestsellers – there is no graphic sex, little violence, no fast-paced plot turns, no apocalyptic conflicts. So why has it captured the imagination and admiration of so many readers? Why did a friend of mine buy three extra copies to give away? In the words of the author, it’s a story “about a man who loves people and loves God and does both well.” *
The main character, an aging man originally from Portugal, Theo, moves from New York to the small town of Golden, Georgia. He visits a local coffeehouse, where he is intrigued by portrait sketches hanging for sale on the wall. Theo wonders why, given their unmistakable quality and reasonable prices, no-one has purchased these to give to the subjects.
This becomes his mission, and his entrée into the lives and hearts of the people of this small, southern town. Theo buys portraits and begins the process of giving them to the people depicted, one by one.
The encounters and the stories of every individual are richly textured and unique. But in each gifting, Theo’s ability to listen, understand, and gently convey compassion and hope are the common threads.
Theo also understands the value of art, music and the natural world to express and assuage the longings of the human soul. His favourite spot is on a bench by the Oxbow River. Small things – a feather, a flash of blue, a fading musical note – carry large weight.
As the stories build and the life of the town takes shape, the novel relies more on character development than on action to engage readers. As such, some may find it slow-moving, especially in the beginning chapters. But as the story evolves, with underlying hints of a mystery that is eventually resolved, most readers discover by the end that Theo has captured their hearts as well as those of the townspeople of Golden.
In many ways, this is a feel-good book. Theo, whose very name evokes godliness, is a saintly individual, whose wealth of character and riches enables him to help others. But to label the novel as lightweight or unrealistic would be to gloss over the elements of loss, suffering, marginalization and heartache that are also woven into the story.
Theo may be saintly during his year in Golden, but we discover it is a hard-won virtue that has brought him to this town and these people.
So, is Theo of Golden a Christian book? Those looking for explicit preaching of the gospel, or characters whose lives revolve around evangelical church life will not find them here. There are, however, biblical phrases and allusions sprinkled throughout. But most importantly, this novel paints a beautiful, unmistakably clear picture of someone living out the principles of the Christian faith.
Author Allen Levi, a committed Christian who has at various times in his life been a lawyer, judge, musician, songwriter, storyteller and author, believes his true vocation is to “use creative gifts to provoke godward thought” (interview in Christianity Today, Feb. 19, 2026). In the creation of Theo, Levi “makes a godly man attractive” inviting readers to “love and admire something outside themselves” (Russell Moore Show podcast interview, March 4, 2026).
Reading and sharing this book gives Christian readers the opportunity to accept that invitation and extend it to others.
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