The Guncle by Steven Rowley – Audio
Book Blurb:
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 when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.
So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.
My Review: 4.5 stars
The Guncle stole my heart with its tender, hilarious and meaningful storyline. Honestly, when I read the first few sentences of the blurb, I fell into the camp of been there, read that. Yes, this is not the first book, show or movie that has an aunt or uncle get surprise custody of their nieces and/or nephews. I can assure, this plot has not been done before. I laughed and I cried. A total escape from reality. I had the pleasure of listening to this gem and the narrator did an incredible job.
Patrick is hiding from grief and hiding from a comeback career without even realizing it. It takes the short-term custody of his niece and nephew for him to remember what living and laughing feels like. He’s a diva, an ex-sitcom star and flamboyant gay man. He’s all about brunch, his golden globe and his love for his sister-in-law, who he’d become best friends with while in college. Her death, which followed years after his partner’s death, put him in a space of vulnerability while also taking care of her and his brother’s kids. Their naivety, honesty, absurd questions about life, about him and overall presence turns his life right side up.
Although this book has a light-hearted and comedic feel, there are some tougher themes trickling through its pages as well, such as addiction, custody disputes, grief, LBGQT+ issues, moving forward, adultry and dysfunctional family dynamics.
Don’t miss this one. You won’t be sorry.
Quotes I liked:
There are two tragedies in life: one is not getting what you want, the other is getting it.”
“The books were easy to restack, but he pulled a few titles to donate, anyhow. Books should be an experience, he thought, not a trophy for having read them.”
“We’ll call it Guncle Rule sweet sixteen: I want you to really live. To live is the rarest of things. Most people merely exist.”
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