Recently, I was looking at the NYT bestseller book list and came across this book called Theo of Golden. I then checked the website of my local library and noticed that there were over 400 people waiting for the book. I didn’t have the patience to stand in the queue, so I forgot about the book. One day, I was just randomly checking the books available at my local library, and to my surprise, a lucky-day copy of Theo of Golden was available. I wasted no time and grabbed the copy.
Immediately, I started reading the book, which is about the main character, Theo, who is in his 80s. Out of nowhere, he comes to this South Georgia town named Golden and visits a cafe that has 92 portraits of patrons of the cafe. Theo finds it interesting and thinks about buying those portraits one at a time and gifting them to their rightful owners.
As he begins the bestowals of the portraits, we get to witness how he forms connections with the people in town and see his generosity, which gives a very important message: what happens when you give rather than receive.
Throughout the book, we see these bestowals one after another, and it may seem like it’s getting repetitive, but boy, was I wrong. The plot twist at the end is just remarkable, and it takes the book to another level. We get to see why he visited Golden in the first place.
Now that I have finished the book, I understand why it is the No. 1 book on the NYT bestseller list. As I was reading the book, I always thought that this book was written for a movie, and it would be no surprise if a movie or a show comes out based on this book. As far as the rating is concerned, I have never come across a book like this, which is so much about forming connections, generosity, and what happens when you choose to give rather than receive. It truly is a masterpiece, and I am glad I came across the book and read it.
Without any doubt, I give this book a solid 10 out of 10. It’s remarkable and a must-read.