I’m a reader, a former bookseller, a former English teacher, and a writer—and I’m also a Christian. So when I come across an excellent novel that is clearly written by a Christian author, I rejoice. Sadly, this doesn’t happen nearly as often as I’d like.
Of course, Wendell Berry and Marilynne Robinson fall into that category. As does Kristin Lavransdatter, my favorite novel of all time (read why here). And I just finished two books back-to-back that have me thinking there must have been divine intervention in my selections. One of them is a national bestseller, a rags-to-riches publishing story that has taken readers—especially Christian readers—by storm. The other is an exquisite novel from a masterful author whom I just started reading within the past year.
The first book I read was Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi. This book was self-published in 2023 and, miracle of miracles (these things do happen sometimes), it gained enough traction to catch the attention of a major publisher, who reissued it earlier this year. It’s now a national bestseller with (as I write this) 20K ratings on Amazon with 95% 4- and 5-star reviews, and 32K ratings on Goodreads with 94% liking the book. It’s a spectacular success story for a book that was originally self-published.
Christian readers are, overall, loving Theo of Golden—effusively and with tears of joy. And I want to encourage those who may love it to grab a copy (my own large library system, who had likely never heard of this book until recently, now has more than 60 copies available with 270 holds on the first copy returned).
Theo of Golden is about a mysterious, elderly gentleman who comes to a quaint, present-day southern town and makes unexpected changes in small, highly personal ways. From the publisher: “A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.”
Is this book for you? Let’s try to determine that. Based on the reviews and numbers alone, I’d have to say, probably yes. Because it certainly feels like every reader—Christian or not—absolutely loves this book. That is, except for me. (I’m dodging tomatoes right now, I just know it.)
If you’re considering reading it, here’s a good indicator if it’s right for you: Are you a fan of Jan Karon’s Mitford books, or Frederik Backman’s books (A Man Called Ove, Anxious People)? If so, then I think the chances are high that you’ll like Theo of Golden.
I didn’t love it. I really wanted to (I found it unrealistically contrived—I have to be honest). But clearly I’m in the minority. The vast majority of readers have found it to be a refreshingly positive, uplifting novel with Christian overtones (it’s not overtly Christian until the end, and even then not particularly hard-hitting—but it’s enough to irritate a few non-Christian Amazon reviewers), so if you’d like a feel-good, contemporary, and clean book that everyone is talking about, then give this one a read. I see that a sequel is in the works, as well.
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The reason I think it was divine intervention that led me to read the next book is that they have remarkably similar themes. Like Theo of Golden, The Dean’s Watch, by Elizabeth Goudge (731 ratings with 94% 4- and 5-star reviews) is about an elderly gentleman who unexpectedly spends his time, money, and energy generously among the people of his town, doing good deeds, setting things right, and influencing many lives for the better. From the publisher: “Dean of the cathedral in an 1870s English town, Adam Ayscough is respected and misunderstood. A dogged crusader against corruption, he’s also acutely shy. When his watch breaks, he forms an unlikely friendship with watchmaker Isaac Peabody, who doesn’t think he has anything in common with God. Will their relationship open the door to grace?”
Elizabeth Goudge is a wonderful writer. I read her Green Dolphin Street earlier this year, and I thought for sure that it would be my #1 fiction for the year until I read The Dean’s Watch. Now I’m on a mission to read pretty much anything she’s ever written.
The Dean’s Watch was written in 1960; the difference between the language quality and style of this book and Theo of Golden (published 63 years later) is immense. I very much appreciated Goudge’s skill with characters, setting, and atmosphere; every time I opened the book, I was immersed in a 19th-century English village with all of my senses. I saw myself in each character in different ways (for better and for worse), and I found myself thinking of them often.
The Christian themes in The Dean’s Watch are more obvious than in Theo of Golden—partly because the main character is the dean of the town’s cathedral, and partly because religion plays a much larger part in the characters’ lives at that time in history. I was also fortunate to have read The Dean’s Watch in late autumn, which corresponded with the time of year in the book. It’s perfect to read during Advent and Christmas.
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Both Theo of Golden and The Dean’s Watch are greatly concerned with generosity, redemption, and grace. Both will introduce you to elderly gentlemen protagonists who demonstrate great love toward those around them. Both are uplifting and positive books. They have other plot similarities, as well, that I can’t give away here because it would spoil things. And even though I liked one book much better than the other, I’m glad to have read them both.
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Great and Noble Tasks 