I can’t be sure that if I recommend the book Theo of Golden that you’ll love it. But so far, that’s been true in every case—sometimes to the point of joyful tears. I know at least you’ll love it if this is true of you: “A man who takes long walks by the river and reads books always has something to think about.”
For months, I’ve been encouraging friends and family to pick up this book by Allen Levi. When you finish this novel, you’ll feel like Allen is a friend. I’m blessed to have more than a few mutual friends with Allen. And he has exceptional taste. That quality shines in this debut novel featuring the mysterious traveler Theo who drops in on the small Southern city of Golden. Theo is described as a man who “lived with such a winsome commitment to the seen and the unseen, the ultimate and the proximate, the wide grace and the narrow way.”
It’s a story so beautiful you can’t help but long for it to be real. I think that’s what makes me want to hand it out to non-Christian friends who search for goodness and beauty and haven’t yet found it in Christ. As Theo says in the book, “Seek truth. Make beauty. Live well.” Elsewhere, it’s said of Theo, “His decision to live small made him larger than life.” You know on this podcast how often I encourage Christians to do likewise.
Allen has been an attorney and judge, singer-songwriter, and author. And he joined me in this episode of Gospelbound to explore the writing process, character development, and the importance of conversation and connection in storytelling.
The Gospel Coalition