Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi

Theo of Golden just knocked Let the Great World Spin (sorry, Colm McCann) out of a spot it had held for decades as my favorite novel. I woke up at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday because I couldn't bear not knowing how it ended. Every page is beautifully written, every description vivid and unforgettable. Allen Levi creates a world so rich and immersive that I felt completely lost inside it, carrying the characters with me long after I closed the book. The story is sprawling, heartbreaking, and deeply human all at once. The only flaw is that eventually it has to end. I wish I could experience reading it for the first time all over again. I can't rave about this book enough. It's the rare novel that not only meets its enormous reputation but surpasses it.