Description de l’éditeur
Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor
National Bestseller • Wall Street Journal Bestseller • USA Today Bestseller
An NPR Book of the Year
Finalist for the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards
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, overwhelmed.
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 acting 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 the humor and heart we've come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.
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.
