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The Guncle

By: Steven Rowley
Narrated by: Steven Rowley
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2020 Steven Rowley (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of:

Oprah Daily's Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape

Washington Post’s Feel-Good Books to Brighten Your Summer

CBS' 12 Perfect Summer Beach Reads for 2021

Vogue's 12 Beach Reads to Get Lost in This Summer

Real Simple’s Blockbuster Beach Reads

Country Living’s 32 Can’t-Miss Beach Reads for This Summer

Southern Living’s Beach Reads Perfect for Summer 2021

Bustle's 40 Best New Books to Read This May

E! News' 18 Best Books to Check Out in May

PopSugar’s 45 Best Summer Reads of 2021

USA Today’s 5 Books Not to Miss

CNN’s 20 Books That Are Essential Reading This Pride Month

Reader's Digest's 75 Best Summer Reads of All Time

Parade’s 15 New LGBTQ+ Books to Pick Up This Summer

New York Post’s 30 Best Books on Our Summer Reading List

iHeart Radio’s 15 Best Beach Reads for Summer 2021

Christian Science Monitor's Best Books of May

PureWow’s 10 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in May

Travel & Leisure's Most Anticipated Books of Summer

Women.com's Most Anticipated Summer Beach Reads

SheKnows’ 20 New Books You Need to Add to Your Summer Reading List

Scary Mommy’s Most Anticipated Books of Summer

Frolic's 25 Best Books of Spring 2021

Brit + Co’s 17 Beach Reads That Make the Perfect Summer Escape

NewNowNext's 17 Exciting Queer Books to Savor This Summer

Bibliolifestyle's Quintessential Summer 2021 Beach Reads

LAMBDA Literary's Most Anticipated LGBTQ Literature of May

Washington Post’s 12 Titles to Get You to the End of Summer

CNN.com’s Essential Reading for Pride Month

“Rowley delivers the perfect summer read: The Guncle is relentlessly witty, sweet and heartbreaking.” (Elin Hilderbrand)

“Patrick is a memorable character, and it’s genuinely thrilling to read screenwriter-turned-novelist Rowley’s take on the mechanics of stardom.... There’s true insight here into the psychology of gay men, Hollywood, and parenting. A novel with some real depth beneath all its witty froth.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“In his heartwarming, humorous new novel, Steven Rowley shows readers the true meaning of family, reminding us that everyone—even parents—is only human.” (Travel & Leisure)

What listeners say about The Guncle

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CHARMING!!!

This book had me hook, line, and sinker. Charming, funny, snarky,
and my goodness, I loved the narration. I fell in love with the
entire family.
So very sad to have this book end.
Going to read Mr. Rowley 's backlist next.

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13 people found this helpful

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Loved it - worth the credit!!!!

Great story and the narration was amazing. Never heard an author read his own story before and he did a great job. A sequel or another book about the throuple would be awesome!

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9 people found this helpful

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So enjoyed this book!

I was looking for something light after some pretty heavy books I’ve recently read. Thought this would be just “fluff”, but it was so much more! The narrator makes the book come alive. But it’s the the messages that have stuck with me. Give it a go. You won’t regret. Funny, yet meaningful. Best I’ve read in quite a while.

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2 people found this helpful

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I Loved This

I needed an escape form my busy schedule and this was a great way to clear my mind. I loved the characters, the performance was excellent, and the story warmed my heart. Very well done.

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Just what I needed!

This audio book was exactly what I needed. The story and the performance were perfect. My daughters have two guncles - not related, but one is my business partner. I could picture every scene in this book. I loved Steve Rowley's Lily and the Octopus, but it was sad. This was only fun!

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Adorable story

Loved this book! Recommended it to my aunt to read and she loved it also.

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Funny, Poignant, Real

Not many books make me laugh out loud or feel wistful. Hard to have it end. Well done, Steven Rowley.

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Best book I've read this year!!

A beautiful story about grief and how love, family, and humor can help you find your way through. An amazingly warm and touching book written with great care and amazing language. I love a book that makes me cry in one chapter.and laugh until.i.crybin the next. Beautiful performed by the author!!

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Loved this!

Where to start?

First off, great narration by the author. Thoroughly enjoyed it because in large part of the narration.

Secondly, I loved the story. It’s Patrick coming out again, not from the closet this time, but from the hard shell he built around himself after his own personal tragedy.

Happy sigh. So really pleased to have done this via audio instead of the book. It brought much more depth to me.

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Wonderful book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book. It was heart warming, funny and the author did a wonderful job narrating. It was the first book I read of his and I will search for more!

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