While you wait for Theo of Golden

Another debut novel has climbed up the holds list at the library. Allen Levi’s book Theo of Golden is a heartfelt tale that follows an elderly man named Theo who recently moved to the small town of Golden. His new hangout spot in Golden is a local coffee shop where pencil drawn portraits line the walls. A local artist creates these portraits featuring community members. Theo decides to purchase each portrait and send them to each individual depicted.  

What follows is a touching story that highlights the impact of small acts of kindness. While you wait for Theo of Golden check out these other novels where community connections drive the stories forward and allow people to come together in unexpected ways.  

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski 

In the Northwoods of Wisconsin there is a cohort known as the “funeral ladies.” Together these women are dedicated to ensuring no mourners of Ellerie County go hungry.

Esther Larson has worked with the “funeral ladies” for nearly 70 years. She believes a good casserole and cherry pie can fix just about anything. However, when an internet scam gets Esther, she must give up her helping hand and instead seek it from others. 

Meanwhile Esther’s granddaughter Iris watches family and friends move away from Ellerie County and wonders why she feels left behind in the town she dearly loves. When a newcomer named Cooper moves to town, Iris thinks maybe he’s the piece that’s been missing in her life. 

Cooper has his own struggles to deal with. His beloved stepmother recently passed and his father is more focused on hitting it big on the screens than caring for Cooper’s younger half-sister. Cooper is also still reeling from a tragic incident he witnessed while on duty as a paramedic.

Armed with a cookbook and a Crock-Pot, Esther, Iris and Cooper work through their troubles together as they whip up recipes filled with cream of chicken soup. 

This heartwarming novel where an unexpected trio work to save themselves and their community is sure to warm your heart and leave you wanting more. Recipes are included so you can cook alongside the characters!

Community Board by Tara Conklin

When Darcy’s life seems to crumble beneath her feet, she heads back to her hometown of Murbridge, Massachusetts. However, her welcome home isn’t what she expected. Her parents left town to check out a senior community center in Arizona without telling Darcy.  

With nowhere else to go Darcy camps out in her parents' empty house. She browses Murbridge’s online community board where posts of free cans of food, reminders of monthly board meetings and proper garbage disposal etiquette are posted for all to see.  

At first Darcy thinks the town of Murbridge she left behind years ago is unchanged. But as she seeks out human connection digitally and physically she realizes the town has changed. Darcy becomes more intertwined with Murbridge and begins to wonder what she can offer her community and what she can ask of it in return.  

Though Darcy may not be a complete stranger to Murbridge like Theo is to Golden, both novels highlight what it takes to build your community when starting over in a new place. 

The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin

Alice raises honeybees in her spare time on a rural farm in Oregon, but the joy the bees bring isn't sufficient these days. Alice recently and unexpectedly lost her husband and now suffers from panic attacks. 

In the midst of one panic attack Alice meets a troubled paraplegic teen named Jake who is drawn to the honeybees. Surprising herself Alice invites Jake to her honeybee farm to help him escape his troubled home life.

Soon after Alice meets Harry who is desperately searching for work while struggling with debilitating social anxiety. As the trio grows closer, a strong friendship begins to blossom.

When a pesticide company moves to town the trio faces a new threat as the farm's honeybee population is going to be in the line of danger. In the midst of their fight for justice, the friends learn there may be something even more nefarious happening in their community.

This novel is a touching exploration of how human connection can save both human and insect lives. If you like this novel from Garvin, check out her more recent release Crow Talk, which also explores the power of human connection and its relationship to nature.

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson

June is the librarian at her beloved hometown library in a small English village. She’s a shy woman always buried in her book. When her local library is threatened with closure June is forced to make a change.  

To save the library June joins fellow members of her community in a campaign to keep the library open. They're quite an eccentric group and the first people June has opened herself up to since her mother passed. Unwilling to go down without a fight, June faces this new challenge head on to save the library and maybe herself too. 

Alex, one of June’s old school friends, is also back in town. Now a lawyer he is willing to help June’s effort to save the library. Unbeknownst to June, Alex has feelings for her that are obvious to just about everyone else. 

Like Theo of Golden, The Last Chance Library shows how it takes just one thing to bridge a connection between people. Whether it be art or the library, as long as someone is willing to take a chance, unbreakable community bonds can be built that change the lives of many.