The Guncle
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3.9 • 19 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Patrick O’Hara was an expert at being the fun gay uncle. Becoming a parent was never part of the plan.
A former sitcom star living glamorously in Palm Springs, Patrick had the perfect life spending his days enjoying cocktails by the pool, trading witty one-liners, and being the fun uncle to his niece Maisie and nephew Grant — in small, carefully managed doses.
Then tragedy changes everything.
Suddenly responsible for two grieving children, Patrick is thrown into a life he never wanted: homework battles, bedtime routines, emotional meltdowns, and the painful reality that love isn’t always fun, easy, or temporary.
As Patrick struggles to hold this broken little family together, he’s forced to confront the grief, loneliness, and fears he’s spent years avoiding. But somewhere between the chaos and the heartbreak, all three begin to discover that family isn’t about perfection — it’s about showing up.
Warm, hilarious, and deeply moving, The Guncle is an unforgettable story about chosen family, second chances, grief, healing, and the messy beauty of learning how to love.
Perfect for fans of Less, House in the Cerulean Sea, and Schitt’s Creek, this bestselling LGBTQ+ family drama will make you laugh out loud one moment and cry the next.
“Funny, charming and heartbreaking.” — Sally Hepworth
“A joyous reading pleasure.” — Andrew Sean Greer
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this heartwarming, hilarious novel from Rowley (The Editor), an erstwhile sitcom star ends up taking care of his niece and nephew. Patrick O'Hara is four years out of the limelight and living in Palm Springs, Calif., when he learns his best friend and sister-in-law, Sara, has died after a long illness. While Patrick is in Connecticut for the funeral, widower Greg confesses he's developed an addiction to painkillers. Patrick agrees to watch over Greg's children, Maise and Grant, nine and six, while Greg spends a few months in rehab. As Patrick navigates his grief and responsibilities for the children, who call him their "Guncle" (or "GUP," for gay uncle Patrick), he contemplates a comeback. Fortunately, he has help from a new agent; the "throuple" of three men next door; and his sister, Clara, despite Clara's skepticism over the value of Patrick's screwball antics for the children. Rowley finds humor and poignancy in the snappy narrative, ordered by a series of "Guncle Rules" ("number five," applying to the adult content in Patrick's apps: "If a gay man hands you his phone, look only at what he's showing you") and deepened by lessons the grief-stricken children learn via Patrick from generations of gay life. Readers will find this delightful and illuminating.
