The Guncle by Steven Rowley

 

5*


I can’t believe I waited so long to read this wonderful book. Rowley strikes the perfect balance between drowning in grief and finding the joy, laughter, and will to live by connecting with family and friends (old and new).

When Patrick’s best friend and sister-in-law Sara dies of cancer, his younger brother Greg asks him to take care of their two children (Maisie, 9, and Grant, 6) for the summer while he checks into a nearby rehab center to overcome his pill addiction. He feels ill-equipped to take care of two grieving children as a 40-something, childless gay man who is mourning both her loss and his unaddressed grief over the death of his boyfriend Joe almost a decade prior. However, Patrick accepts the responsibility and treats his niece and nephew like two little adults, not altering his extensive vocabulary of big words, his frequent references to pop culture from earlier times, his “colorful” language, or his penchant for bright caftans and comforting cocktails.

Whether it’s celebrating Christmas in July (complete with a towering pink tree), visiting kitschy Palm Springs tourist attractions, sharing useless facts (“distraction bombs”) and silly selfies, doling out “Guncle rules.” or just lounging in the backyard pool, he learns that he has an innate understanding of what these kids need to cope with the grief of losing their mother, making mistakes along the way, but also finding a way out of his self-imposed isolation and back to the world of acting he walked away from four years back. His methods may be unorthodox, but they’re also very thoughtful and effective.

I love how naturally funny Patrick is and how Rowley portrays his journey and re-awakening, so to speak. I also appreciate the insight into how hurtful it was for Patrick, with his platonic love for Sara, when she chose his own brother to spend the 2nd half of her life with after Patrick moved across the country to follow Joe and pursue his acting career. One of the reasons he is able to connect so well with Maisie and Grant is because she lives on through them. Rowley also raises the curtain on the struggles Patrick has endured as a gay man, especially when he lost Joe before same-sex marriage was legalized. Not gonna lie…that brought tears to my eyes! Rowley elicits a range of emotions, but I couldn’t help but think of my own life’s mantra borrowed from late comedienne Erma Bombeck: “If you can laugh about it, you can live with it.” And Patrick O’Hara really knows how to live. I can’t wait to read the upcoming sequel, The Guncle Abroad. Highly recommended!!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.