(73)The Guncle by Steven Rowley

 

It devastated Patrick when his best friend, Sara, loses her battle with cancer. They have been best friends since college and she even became his sister when she married his brother. When Patrick arrives at the funeral, he finds out that his brother has been losing his own battle with addiction. He is going to enter a ninety-day treatment program, but he wants Patrick to take his kids, Maisie and Grant, while he gets his act together. Patrick can barely care for himself, let alone two youngsters, but he is going to do it. For Sara. Patrick takes Maisie and Grant back to his Palm Springs home, where he exiled himself after his hit television show ended years ago, and tries to make it a summer they will all remember. Between bicycles, earthquakes, and a new dog, The Guncle and his wards make it a summer to remember. But will all of them be able to deal with their grief in the process?

I wasn't three chapters into The Guncle and my thought was "Somebody get this author a movie deal - STAT."  Thankfully Lionsgate was way ahead of me there. The Guncle is an absolutely delightful novel about family, unconditional love, life, and loss. Patrick is the main character that every novel needs. He has been broken by the loss of his partner and then his best friend, but he steps up to care for those broken even more. His niece and nephew. I was so grateful that the author didn't write Patrick to be a bumbling idiot with the kids because that would have been easy. Instead, he wrote Patrick as a caring, thoughtful, creative uncle. From pink Christmas trees to YouTube videos, they all had a summer of growth. But does it really have to end at the end of the summer? CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - The Guncle was on a lot of "must-read" lists this past summer and now I see why. The book is warm and funny. And the latest addition to my "Best of 2021" list. 

Details: 

• The Guncle by Steven Rowley
• On Twitter
• Pages: 336
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Publication Date: 5/25/2021
• Buy it Here!
• Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.