The Guncle

National Bestseller • Wall Street Journal Bestseller • USA Today BestsellerAn NPR Book of the YearFinalist for the Thurber Prize for American HumorFinalist 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.