What Made It Special
If you finished Theo of Golden and want more, here’s what to look for. A gentle stranger who changes a neighborhood. A big ensemble cast. A quiet thread of faith. And a tone that believes people are mostly worth loving. No single book has all four, so here are six that each capture some of it. No spoilers for any of them.
A Gentleman in Moscow
Number one: A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. A Russian count is sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a grand hotel, and instead of sulking, he turns the hotel into a whole world, befriending a young girl, a famous actress, and the staff. If you loved Theo’s old-world manners, this is the closest match. It’s longer and more plotted, but just as graceful.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Number two: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce. A retired man in England sets out on foot to deliver a letter to a friend who is dying, and the strangers he meets along the way change him. It has the same ache, and the same belief that small kindnesses matter, with a more bittersweet edge.
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
Number three: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin. Tony fans, this one’s for you. A grumpy bookseller on a small island is slowly won over by the community around his shop. It’s lighter and funnier than Theo, and it’s a love letter to reading.
Our Souls at Night
Number four: Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf. A widow and a widower in a small Colorado town start spending their nights talking, and the town has opinions. It’s short, spare, and quiet, with none of Theo’s flourish, but it has the same tender attention to ordinary people.
Peace Like a River
Number five: Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. If the faith thread was your favorite part of Theo, start here. It’s a lyrical story of a family in nineteen-sixties Minnesota, a father who may be able to work miracles, and a road trip. It has more plot than Theo, and it takes belief seriously without lecturing.
Tuesdays with Morrie
Number six, and the only nonfiction: Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom. A man spends his Tuesdays with his dying former professor and writes down what he learns about love and living. It’s the real-life version of Theo’s wise-old-man energy, and it reads fast.
Where To Start
If you can only pick one: A Gentleman in Moscow for elegance, A. J. Fikry for a faster and funnier read, and Peace Like a River for the faith. And if you just want that same cozy feeling, A Man Called Ove and Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman, are the obvious next stops. Links to all of these are in the description. Tell me in the comments what I missed.
