I don’t think I’ve ever had a book more frequently recommended to me by you blog readers than this one. And I can see why. It is about kindness, about an artist and art appreciation, about deeply listening to others about what is on their heart, encouraging others to see their value, appreciating nature, music, walking, and community, all with Christian overtones. You are right. I’m about all that, so reading this was a good fit for me.

Theo of Golden follows an older gentleman of means who comes into town. He is inspired to purchase portraits from a coffee shop wall and give them to those whose faces they depict. In the process, he meet all sorts of local folk, while listening more than he talks.  He truly experiences that it is “more blessed to give than receive.” You come to like this man, but don’t really get his back story until the end.

Here are my favorite quotes from the book:

• “Baby, they’s justice and they’s mercy. If you not sure what to do and you gotta choose one over the other, I say always go the mercy way. If you make a mistake, make it for mercy. Bad mercy don’t hurt nearly like bad justice…”
• “Can you call to mind anyone who quite so beautifully integrated the concrete and the spiritual? 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?”
• “Do good, bestow kindness, strive for beauty, seek and find the river that leads to life everlasting, and draw from the fountain that never runs dry.”
• “Most of his working hours continue to be spent in the blessed company of faces, in the noble pursuit of beauty, and in the humble service of art lovingly done.”

This book was a bit plodding for me through the middle, probably because I had such high expectations for it. I’ll still give it 5 stars, although it didn’t blow me away as much as I expected, considering all the hype. This is a slow, quiet burn that you continue to think about long after you finish reading it. So go into this expecting a gentle read, not one with dramatic illuminations.

The morals of the story? Be present for other people and uphold the best in them. Kindness can be transformative. Consistent goodness brings healing. Compassion builds community. Strong relationships are built out of care and attention. Seek to serve instead of being served. Generosity is always appropriate. You can learn lessons, improve, and change for the better throughout your life; Theo certainly did. Also, marry your best friend who listens to you, and not a passionate liaison with someone who is full of themselves.

All that deserves to be recommended highly, so thank you for doing so, and now I am recommending it as well.