The Guncle by Steven Rowley Series: The Guncle #1
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on June 1, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / General, Fiction / Humorous / General, Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General, Fiction / Romance / General
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
From the author of Lily and the Octopus comes a moving and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star who is left to care for his niece and nephew after an unexpected family tragedy.
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them … in small doses, with their parents there to handle the tears and tricky questions. So when tragedy strikes and Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian, he is, honestly, overwhelmed.Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to young children. But when he realises that parenting isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility and the realisation that, sometimes, being vulnerable is the only way to heal from grief.
Tender, charming and laugh-out-loud funny, The Guncle is a testament to finding happiness and peace in the most trying of times.
‘Steven Rowley’s The Guncle is a gift. At once funny, charming and heartbreaking, it’s that rare novel that will have you laughing out loud, even through tears. I have yet to meet a person who did not love this book.’ Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Good Sister and The Younger Wife‘A joyous Auntie Mame spritz! A reading pleasure; pour yourself a tall glass and enjoy, preferably poolside. You deserve it!’ Andrew Sean Greer, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Less
My Review
I picked this book up one day, thinking I just kind of need something light to get me through, and I am going to tell you right now, Reader, this book had some hard-hitting stuff in it. Maybe I found it particularly hard-hitting because my friend recently died from cancer, and there is a character (Sara) in here who died off the page but is mentioned throughout the story, who also died of cancer. Do not get me wrong, this book was lovely. It made me laugh, but it also made me cry, particularly when Patrick (The Guncle) spoke of his friend who passed away. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator (the author) did a great job, but I think that I would have preferred to read it simply because there were some fantastic lines about grief that I had wanted to underline but was not able to with audio. So, Reader, if you are a person who likes to underline great lines in a story, then maybe keep that in mind if you are thinking about listening to it.
In this story, we are following Patrick, GUNCLE, or simply GUP for Gay Uncle Patrick. Either way, this man is big-hearted, sarcastic, hurting, and easy to love. Patrick is an actor who, after losing Joe, the love of his life, decided to leave the big screens and hide away from the world. It isn’t until his good friend Sara passes away from cancer that he re-emerges into the world. When he heads back to his home state of Connecticut to attend the funeral, he discovers a secret that leads him to take his niece and nephew back home with him to CA for the summer. Needless to say, GUP is way out of his element trying to take care of these grieving children, or so his sister believes, and maybe he does too. In actuality, though, GUP is the perfect person to help these kids navigate their grief. It just takes him a while to understand it.
Maisie and Grant are just the cutest kids. Maisie is right on the cusp (within a couple, maybe a few years) of becoming a teen, and Grant is still a curious little boy with a million crazy questions, which leads to some pretty hilarious responses and conversations. I absolutely loved these moments and was reminded of my own son when he was Grant’s age. I think that during all the conversations that GUP shared with his niece and nephew, my favorites always involved the GUNCLE RULES, which you will learn about as you read the story. I loved the way that GUP spoke to the children like they were people and not just little annoyances who have disrupted his life. I loved how accepting he was of their specific needs and wants without judgment. An example of this is with Maisie, who does not want to go swimming because she does not want to wear a “girls” swimsuit. The solution was simple: he took Maisie to the store where she could pick out shorts and shirts she wanted to wear for swimming and that she felt comfortable in. I also loved how when Grant commented on GUP’s “dress,” GUP simply said it was not a dress and boys could wear girls’ clothes and girls could wear boys’ clothes, no big deal. I thought that GUP handled all these situations perfectly and in a loving and teachable way. Seriously, he is really good with the kids.
Beyond dealing with grief and societal expectations on what is for boys and girls, this book also touches on figuring out when a person’s childhood truly ends. When do you stop being a kid and become an adult, and is it the same for everyone? I mean, really, is it just a matter of turning a certain age, or is it more than that? Either way, I think if you are looking for a book that will give you all the feels, then maybe give this one a shot because it truly was wonderful. I also have to say that I loved how the story came together and gave a perfect segue into the next book in the series. Do not worry, Reader; it was not a cliffhanger. I do hope you give this book a go, and if you do, please check back in and let me know what you thought of it and maybe even The GUNCLE RULES. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading
Trigger Warnings:
- Death Of A Spouse/ Mother/ Friend/ Significant Other
- Drug Addiction
- Depression
- Exclusion Due To Being Gay
- Car Accidents