Tracy Rees on 'Theo of Golden'

Novelist Tracy Rees used X to urge readers toward Allen Levi’s *Theo of Golden*, adding fresh momentum to a book that has already become a word-of-mouth bestseller. (x.com, simonandschuster.biz) Rees is a Welsh novelist whose credits include the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller win and five bestselling historical novels, giving the recommendation weight beyond a casual reader post. (tracyreesbooks.com, tracyreesbooks.com) Her post singled out the novel’s art, music and nature writing, and teased “one shocking element,” framing the book as gentle in tone but not plotless. The reactions underneath quickly turned into a recommendation chain, with readers swapping titles and reporting that they had already bought or finished Levi’s novel. (x.com) That kind of endorsement lands in the middle of a much bigger rise for *Theo of Golden*. Atria said on March 12, 2026 that its edition had sold more than 1 million copies in the United States after Levi first self-published the novel in 2023. (simonandschuster.biz) The publisher said the book first hit *The New York Times* bestseller list in November 2025 and climbed to No. 1 in March 2026. It was also picked by Katie Couric’s book club in February 2026 and Jen Hatmaker’s in March 2026. (simonandschuster.biz) The novel itself follows a stranger who arrives in the Southern city of Golden and starts buying pencil portraits hanging in a coffeehouse, then giving each one to the person depicted in exchange for that person’s story. Simon & Schuster says the book centers on generosity, connection and “quiet miracles.” (simonandschuster.com) Levi, who lives near a small town in middle Georgia, has said the story began after he sat in a Columbus, Georgia, coffee shop lined with 92 portraits and wondered what would happen if someone bought them one by one and returned them to their subjects. (christianitytoday.com) His route to publication was unusual. Levi told *Christianity Today* he did not initially plan to publish the manuscript, then self-published it in October 2023 after friends pushed him to share it. (christianitytoday.com) The book’s audience is still expanding. Levi’s site says signed copies remain on sale, and retailer listings say he is working on a sequel, *Ellen of Golden*, extending the life of a novel now being passed from book clubs to social feeds to new readers like the ones Rees reached this week. (allenlevi.com, amazon.com)