The Guncle

By: Steven Rowley

Narrated by: Steven Rowley

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!