Did you love ‘Theo of Golden’? Here are 5 more books to check out
Bona fide literary sensations are rare, but “Theo of Golden” by first-time novelist Allen Levi of South Georgia qualifies as one.
Levi self-published his inspirational tale about a mysterious man who creates a ripple effect of kindness and generosity in small-town Georgia in October 2023. It sold an astonishing 170,000 copies before it was picked up by Simon & Schuster and published by its imprint, Atria Books, in November 2025. Since then, it has sold more than 1 million copies and is currently in its 17th week on the New York Times bestsellers list for paperback trade fiction.
Readers can’t seem to get enough of Levi’s story about Theo, an 86-year-old newcomer to Golden, Georgia, who buys portraits of townspeople hanging on a coffee shop wall and bestows them upon their subjects, one by one. In the process, he forges deep friendships with a diverse cross-section of people who are changed for the better by their association with him.
Fans of “Theo of Golden” will be happy to know a sequel is in the works. Focused on one of the book’s intriguing secondary characters, it is titled “Ellen of Golden.”
That book is still a year or two away, according to a video Levi posted on Instagram. For now, readers will have to satisfy themselves with books that share qualities with “Theo of Golden” by celebrating human connections bound by faith in the goodness of others.
Here are five recommendations.
A sleeper hit like “Theo of Golden” that’s flourished through word-of-mouth, Virginia Evans’ epistolary novel reflects the hopes, dreams, regrets and sorrows of a divorced, retired woman in her 70s whose relationships are sustained through letters and emails. From the mundane to the profound, Sybil Van Antwerp’s written exchanges with friends, family members, colleagues, suitors, nemeses and famous authors reveal the highs and lows of a rich and complex life led by a shrewd, sardonic woman whose cranky demeanor belies the wounded heart of a romantic. (Crown, $28)
Set in 1950s Washington, D.C., Kate Quinn’s cozy murder mystery takes place in a rundown boarding house for women. The residents all keep to themselves until a mysterious widow moves into the attic and starts hosting weekly dinner parties. Before long, these women from different walks of life — a policeman’s daughter, a frustrated baseball star, an elegant Englishwoman, a devotee of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s Communist hearings — forge a friendship that provides safety and refuge during a tumultuous time in history. (William Morrow, $24)
Tova is a 70-year-old widow still deeply grieving the mysterious disappearance of her teenage son 30 years ago. To keep herself occupied, she works the night shift cleaning the Sowell Bay Aquarium, where she befriends Marcellus, a brilliant giant Pacific octopus coming to the end of his long life. She also befriends Cameron, a troubled young man searching for his father. In Shelby Van Pelt’s endearing novel, the three characters form an unlikely alliance that brings them grace and closure. (Ecco, $23.99)
Written by Fredrik Backman, author of “A Man Called Ove,” this charming tale from 2016 depicts a loving relationship between 7-year-old Elsa — a lonely, unconventional girl whose parents are divorced — and her eccentric grandmother, who entertains Elsa with made-up fairy tales about the people who live in their apartment building. When the grandmother dies, she leaves behind a request for Elsa to deliver letters of apology to people in her past. In the process, Elsa forges friendships with the recipients and learns long-held secrets about her family. (Atria, $18.99)
Feeling responsible for the deaths of his troubled brother and sister-in-law, teenager Ian Bledsoe is so wracked with guilt in this 1991 novel by Anne Tyler that he puts his future plans on hold to help raise the couple’s three orphaned children. Spanning two decades, this heartwarming novel explores the evolution of family relationships and the tension between honoring one’s obligations and the desire for self-fulfillment. (Vintage, $18)
About the Author
Suzanne Van Atten is a book critic and contributing editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
