If you are an avid reader, you have probably heard of the recent New York Times best seller, Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi. Theo is a mysterious character who moves to the town of Golden. He visits a coffee shop that has 92 portraits on the wall. He decides that he will purchase the portraits one at a time and try to get them to the subjects in the portraits. Allen takes the seemingly unrelated stories of the subjects and weaves them into a picture of hope and love.
Other than a book about caring for his dying brother, Gary, and a children's book, this was Allen's first novel. Allen grew up in Columbus, GA, was an attorney, then a singer-songwriter, and then a judge. Allen is 70 years old. What inspires a man to write a novel at 70? He wrote it as a challenge to himself with encouragement from friends and family. With very little time or money spent on marketing, the self-published book had better than average success in 2023, selling about 3000 copies. But as readers began sharing their love for the book (including Oprah), publishers took notice, and as of the end of 2025, over 300,000 copies have been sold.
I am not an avid reader, but I took notice of Theo of Golden when my mom received a copy a couple of years ago from Allen. You see, the town of Golden is modeled after Columbus, and Fountain City Coffee in downtown Columbus has portraits hanging on its walls. I grew up in Columbus, and Allen Levi lived across the street from me. His younger sister, Laura, was one of my best friends. Allen wanted my mom to have a copy. I read it and am now one of his biggest fans. If you want to be inspired in the best way, I encourage you to read it, too. I am quite sure it is no coincidence that Theo, in Greek, means "gift of God".
