The book to be discussed is "The Guncle: a Novel" by Steven Rowley. Pick up a copy of the book at the library.
The Guncle: a Novel by Steven Rowley is available as a print book, an e-book, a downloadable audiobook, and as a large print book in the library's collection.
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 a bit out of his league.
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 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.
The Brightwood Branch opened in 1901 as the sixth public library in Indianapolis. It served the Brightwood community at several locations along Station Street, one street west of its current North Sherman Avenue storefront site which opened in 1972. A 1996 renovation at this location doubled the size of the branch to 5,400 square feet. In 2020, a brand-new branch building, across the street from the previous branch, was completed and re-named as the Martindale-Brightwood Branch.
