“The Guncle” - Steven Rowley

🍸 A feel-good, Christmas read, TG is at times irreverent and at times poignant. A once popular actor, Patrick finds himself in a rut professionally and personally. He hiding out in Palm Springs to escape hard realities and minimize the risk of exposing his heart once again. It is the death of his sister-in-law and erstwhile best friend, that jolts him awake. He must reckon with what he wants out of his life, and his niece and nephew’s arrival in Palm Springs could force him to deal with everything he has buried for far too long.

🍸 Snappy and full of heart, Patrick was a delight. He has an endearing habit of quoting movie lines and skewering names deliberately (i.e. Cassie Everest becomes Mary Matterhorn, Amy Adirondacks, and the list goes on). I also loved that he regards Mrs. Roper reverentially as a fashion icon, and is very deliberate in communicating to the kids that fashion needn’t be boxed in by gender notions.

🍸 Although he is new to the wonderful world of parenting, as he’s temporarily taking care of his niece and nephew, Patrick handles fraught situations with aplomb. The scene where Maisie spits out “I hate you” as well as the birthday cake scene, will get you in the feels.

🍸 One of the pivotal relationships that continue to haunt Patrick, is the death of his partner some years back. While his partner was lying unconscious in the hospital, Patrick was pushed out by his disapproving family. Patrick couldn’t be with him during his final moments, nor was he allowed to attend the vigil. Patrick muses that his experience was not unlike so many loving relationships ripped apart at the height of the AIDS epidemic by close-minded families.