++++++++ Available from Simon & Schuster Australia
Written with warmth and humour, The Guncle was a delightful and heartwarming read. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these three characters and the journey of their relationship.
Grant is voluble, full of boundless curiosity and energy, while Maisie is still a child but a little more vulnerable and serious. While Patrick is on the verge of being a larger-than-life character, the children are portrayed realistically. There are some truly poignant moments as Patrick talks to them about their late mom, Sara, and recalls his own lost love, Joe. The Guncle is more than just funny though, it offers surprising emotional depth as both Patrick and the children grapple with their losses. Some may say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but it rarely fails to raise a laugh from me. There are plenty of hilarious conversational exchanges and situations, like Grant’s midnight encounter with Patrick’s very fancy toilet on their very first night. Patrick has no real idea how to manage the children on a daily basis, and his general sense of irreverence and sarcastic sense of humour makes him a poor role model, but while he makes mistakes, he does commit to helping them deal with their grief. Given they’ve just lost their mother to cancer, Patrick doesn’t think he is the right person to take charge of his niece and nephew, but Greg is insistent, GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is exactly what they need.
Patrick, a reclusive former television celebrity, is completely unprepared when his brother asks him to take care of his children, nine-year-old Maisie and six-year-old Grant for the summer while he attends a rehab facility. Steven Rowley’s The Guncle was a hit in the USA upon its release in mid 2021, but it’s taken a year for it to be picked up by an Australian publisher so I’m a little late to the party. Status: Read June 2022 courtesy Simon & Schuster/Netgalley Published: 1st June 2022, Simon & Schuster Australia
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