The Guncle
Fiction
G.P. Putnam's Sons
May 25, 2021
Hardcover
336
Purchased
From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.
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.
With humor and heart, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.
The synopsis for this book looked so good that I grabbed it despite the fact that I was not a fan of this author's first book. Suffice it to say that one had some wacky fantasy/magical realism in it (that I was not aware of going in). I did my best to vet this one, but would not have been surprised this time if some weirdness showed up. To my utter delight, the only weirdness was that the two books were written by the same author, because I freaking LOVED this one! I laughed, I teared up, and just never wanted the fun with GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) to end! I think the synopsis does a pretty good job of explaining this book, so I'm not going to dwell on the particulars, except that Patrick's character was one of the best I've read in a long time! His day to day monologues, and how he dealt with the kids in his care, were at times hysterically funny, and other times poignant and melancholy. His growth as a guardian and at coming to terms with a huge loss in his life were inspiring and heartwarming. The kids were adorable, and there are some side characters that were fun, and added some extra interest to the plot. There are lots of great references to old movies and film stars, and obscure 80's music. The ending was the cherry on top to this marvelous story sundae!
It's early in the summer, but this may well be my favorite book of the season. I just wish I could hang out by the pool with Patrick (we'd have to stay there, since he wouldn't approve of my wearing 3/4 length pants if we went anywhere to eat!). I can't imagine anyone who reads this won't have a smile on their face by the end!
