I’ve read lots of books this year that I have really liked, but thus far, there’s not a single book that I would have described as delightful. The Guncle,, by Steven Rowley, changed all of that. The book was absolutely DELIGHTFUL.

Patrick loves his niece Maisie and his nephew Grant, and they love him. Once a year or so, he even has them fly to California and spend a week or so with him. But when this sister-in-law (who also happens to have been his very best friend) dies of cancer, and his brother has a health crisis of his own, he is unprepared to become the kids’ guardian for an entire summer. However, he accepts the challenge because that’s what family does.

Maisie and Grant love their uncle (who they know as Gay Uncle Patrick, GUP for short), but they are not prepared to live life with a single man who is already reeling from the loss of his own beloved partner from injuries incurred in a car crash. Patrick is not just gay and single, but is easily recognizable as a former television star who had played lead in a comedy sitcom. He does the very best that he can, and provides a safe, if unique, environment for the kids as they grieve the loss of their mother.,

I love the character of Gay Uncle Patrick, who, despite being unfamiliar with raising two children, especially two children who are lost without their mother and father, is committed to providing a loving environment while helping them recover.

If I wasn’t laughing at their shenanigans, I was crying at the poignant and loving relationship between GUP and his niece and nephew. Helped along by a cast of interesting and relatable characters, The Guncle, will be one of my favorite books or the year, and perhaps of all time. I rarely buy a book, but I will purchase this book and reread it again and again.

Here is a link to the book.