THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE

In Boerner’s novel, an older man and a child become friends during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

Theo Gruene is a retired botanist who lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and does volunteer work for the University of Arkansas. His idea of a perfect day is one he spends gluing plant specimens, such as a 1930s columbine, onto mounting paper. He loves order and solitude, but he’s still grieving the death of his beloved wife, Annie, 20 years before. Theo’s life is thrown into upheaval with the sudden arrival on his doorstep of an 8-1/2-year-old girl in a green raincoat that’s too big for her. Penelope Pie Palmer just missed her school bus and forgot her house key, so she asks if she can stay in his house until the current rainstorm passes and her mom returns home in a few hours. He initially sees the girl as a nuisance, but their interactions slowly cause Theo to venture out of his self-contained world. He adopts a stray dog; meets Penelope’s determined single mom, Ivy; and discovers good qualities about Nita Johnson, a neighbor whom he formerly considered a nosy gossip. However, difficulties arise when the Covid-19 pandemic shuts down Penelope’s school and Theo reluctantly tutors her so that her mom, a nurse’s aide, can still work. Then Ivy lands in the intensive-care unit, requiring a ventilator. After Theo temporarily accepts responsibility for Penelope’s welfare, new information about the girl, her mom, and Theo comes to light. Boerner’s story revolves around a likable cast: Theo, at first a self-centered hermit, becomes a caring member of society, upset about injustice. Ivy takes responsibility for a bad choice, and Nita wins over Theo by remaining herself. However, bright, chatty Penelope is the book’s star, providing abundant humor (such as calling her raincoat a “protectability cloak”), as well as emotional depth—accepting Theo, and others, despite their many flaws. The northwest Arkansas setting, with lovingly described wilderness areas, such as Devil’s Den and Yellow Rock Trail, enhances the story’s messages about grounding one’s life in the natural world and practicing simple values.    

A family oriented tale that's heartfelt and funny, by turns.