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Book recommendation — The Guncle and The Guncle Abroad

Cookie Boyle

Updated: 4 days ago

And then there were two


The Guncle and The Guncle Abroad By Steven Rowley



In The Guncle’s first chapter, we meet Patrick O’Hara, a once-famous sitcom actor hiding from Hollywood’s attention in Palm Springs. Into his carefully manicured life arrive 9-year-old Maisie and 6-year-old Grant, his niece and nephew who have recently lost their mother. Despite Patrick’s abundant lack of parenting skills, they become his wards for the summer while their father is off in rehab for his addiction to painkillers.  


From the opening pages, I adored Patrick. I loved his wit, his perspective and his dedication to caring for the kids. And I loved Steven Rowley’s writing. The Guncle was the first of his books I read, and I was so grateful for how surefooted it was. Wherever the story was going to take me, I knew I was going to enjoy it. 


However what I expected and what I got were two wildly different things. I thought I would laugh throughout the book as Patrick tries to teach Maisie and Grant about life, through his endless list of “Guncle Rules”. And I did. But what I didn’t expect was to care so much about the characters. I grew to love Patrick, be concerned about his challenges, and cheer on Maisie and Grant as they navigate their summer in Palm Springs. 


By the end of the book, I had tears in my eyes, reading where Patrick’s choices had taken him. 


The Guncle is one of those perfectly self-contained novels, filled with laughter and unexpected but well-earned emotion. Which is why I was hesitant about reading The Guncle Abroad. Having loved The Guncle so much, I couldn’t imagine a world in which the author was able to surpass the original story. 


The sequel to The Guncle takes place 5 years later. Patrick has moved to London temporarily, and the kids are five years older and sometimes wiser.   


However Steven Rowley brought me along for the European ride. He cleverly dropped reminders of The Guncle throughout the early chapters for those who had read the first novel years ago and needed a refresher, or for those who had never read it. 


In The Guncle Abroad, Patrick’s lessons for his niece and nephew are more focused than in the first book, but still revealing. And his journey results in a satisfying ending. 


It must be challenging to try and write a sequel to such a masterfully crafted book, but Steven Rowley is able to move the characters forward, providing the reader perspective on change, choice and the confluence they create. 


Will there be a third book — The Guncle Grows Up? 




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