Behind the Story: Theo of Golden

Exploring the idea that turned into Levi’s debut novel and why he thinks the book resonates with so many people

Allen Levi’s debut novel, Theo of Golden, currently sits at the top of the list of most popular paperbacks. Levi, an attorney, judge, singer/songwriter and author, penned the novel in his 60s and self-published it with the help of his niece at almost 70 years old. 

A story about the power of generosity, Theo of Golden is the story of a mysterious, elderly man who arrives in a small Southern river city, Golden. Once there, Theo — with an uncanny ability to really see people — becomes captivated by a series of portraits of residents, drawn by a local artist and hanging in the local coffee shop. One by one, Theo begins to purchase them and return them to the subject, asking only for a few minutes of their time and a little of their stories in return. It’s a book about taking the time to really see, listen and connect, as well as the power of kindness. 

Join us as we go behind the story to learn where Allen Levi came up with the idea for his best-selling book, dig into the process it took to get it published and why he thinks the book’s theme resonates with so many readers. 

Where did the idea come from? 

In an interview with Russell Moore for Moore’s “The Russell Moore Show” podcast, Levi said the smallest seed of the novel germinated during a visit to one of his favorite Columbus, Georgia, coffee shops, Fountain City Coffee. Levi, who lives near Columbus, visits the shop often and often gazes at the portraits that line the walls. 

“I love to go to the shop to look at the portraits,” Levi said in the interview. “I was looking at the portraits one day, waiting for my order to be prepared … and I thought, ‘Why don’t these people or someone who loves these people buy these portraits?’ Then I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to buy these portraits and give them to the people?’”

Levi immediately bought four portraits, but the idea didn’t let go. 

“The seed corn for the story was planted,” Levi said. 

What did the process of publishing Theo of Golden look like? 

After writing the book, Levi chose to self-publish it, with the help of his niece, Aron Ritchie. They really thought the novel would sell in the Columbus area and maybe a little in Southeast region, but their expectations stopped there. 

“There was no formula for marketing when myself and my niece, who works with me, started this venture,” Levi said in an interview with WRBL News. “We had a marketing budget of zero. We had a cumulative experience of zero. We’d never published a book before. We self-published, so we had to learn everything from the ground up.”

But the book continued to gain momentum. Eventually, a book agent found him, rather than the other way around. The agent, Suzanne Gluck with William Morris Endeavor, began shopping the book around to publishers and within a couple of weeks, Levi was signed to Simon & Schuster. 

Why does Theo of Golden resonate with so many people? 

Levi, a Christian, says he wrote the novel from a faith-centered point of view, but didn’t necessarily write it as Christian fiction. 

“In addition to being a book about kindness, [Theo of Golden] is a book about the reason for kindness,” Levi said in his conversation with Moore. “I wrote this book for an audience that I very likely knew would not be Christian … and wanted them to be able to engage with the story and be drawn to the old man and his virtue as well.” 

One of the reasons the book may resonate with so many readers, Levi said, is because through the story, it points to something higher. 

“Jesus used parables; he used literature,” Levi said in the interview with Moore. “Art in many different forms can do a lot to develop our character and sense of attentiveness.” 

For Levi, the success of the book isn’t built on best-seller lists or big payouts, but rather the opportunity to share the story God wrote in him.

“When I die, I will take this book to Jesus,” Levi said, “and I will say, ‘I did this for you.’”

---

Theo of Golden is our July Bookery Book Club selection. Get your copy and join us for the conversation! 

As an Amazon Associate, The Bookery earns from qualified purchases.