Customer Reviews

Summer of Light: A Novel

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You don't have to believe in divine intervention to enjoy this book. In fact, the viewpoint of a skeptic may lead you to some surprising conclusions about God. That skeptic is Mick Brannigan, a seasoned ironworker and self-proclaimed loudmouth, who has trouble holding his tongue with his wife's church group. But Mick is also a man of quiet character and strength.

His story begins with a difficult decision. His young son Dylan has been diagnosed with sensory integration dysfunction. Someone must take control of his therapy and care by staying at home with him in an uncomplicated social setting. Layne, Mick's wife, loves her job and is unwilling to quit. But, Mick can always get hired on as an ironworker at another job down the road. Somehow the decision is made and Mick is reluctantly faced with the challenges of full-time fatherhood.

In spite of himself Mick begins a journey of self-discovery. It seems as if some higher power is orchestrating events that will prove Mick to be a talented photographer who has a gift that reveals the very essence of faith, hope and charity. Portraits of his children, his countryside, his work at a homeless shelter, and the men of steel he worked with, all reveal the essential beliefs of Mick Brannigan. He has a gift for fatherhood as well.

Amongst the sticky floors and dirty laundry his children thrive. And much to his humble amazement--so does he.

While reading this book I felt as though I came to know a generous and gifted man. His humbleness and quiet strength were qualities that set him apart. And be assured that he proves that fatherhood can be a man's most important role in life.

Armchair Interviews says: Fatherhood in a new light.

With his books "Bad Ground" and "Levi's Will," Dale Cramer established himself in my mind as one of our premier writers. His characters, settings, and metaphors are beautifully rendered. His prose is poetic in places, yet with a working class ethic to it that makes it believable and accessible.

"Summer of Light" is Cramer's most accessible book to date. The main character, Mick Brannigan, is a typical man's man. He works on construction crews. He uses his fists to protect his loved ones. He wants to be the breadwinner. When that responsibility is taken from him, by a number of conspiratorial circumstances, Mick begins to adjust to the life of a stay-at-home dad. He has three children, pets, and pesky neighbors. What seems simple turns into a year-long season of change that's full of laugh-out-loud moments as well as heart-nudging scenes. Mick discovers who he truly is along the way, while also discovering his kids and appreciating his wife in a new light.

On the surface, this book is more readable, less literary, maybe even not as deep, as "Bad Ground." On closer examination, this book refuses to play into literary trends which call for gut-wrenching pathos. Instead, it brackets the picture of a modern family going through common struggles, finding hope and joy and "street faith" along the way. Without resorting to sappiness, "Summer of Light" is a feel-good story. Cramer continues to impress.

When I pick up a book by Cramer, I am convinced that I am not picking up a book. I am walking into my own personal movie theatre. I stroll over to my concession stand for a soda, (my fridge, of course) grab a snack, and as I tap open the first page, the feature presentation begins. I've felt that way ever since "Bad Ground" leaped off the page. The man is simply amazing! "Summer of Light" is beyond amazing, because everything JUMPS right off the page, and into the heart.

So, what would you do if YOU were a hard worker, had some crazy mishap at work, and the boss simply declares, "You're fired!"? What could you do? Look for a new job, or maybe stay at home with the kids because your lovely wife has a career of her own and now SHE can pay the bills! That's kind of the situation Mick Brannigan, is tossed into, and he isn't too certain that he's going to like the results. When school is in session he'll deal with Dylan, his youngest, who doesn't go to pre-school, but can imitate anything, and can't pronounce his Gs. The other 2 kids are Ben and Toad. They are just as memorable, and they have some great moments as well. Mick is taking on the life of a housewife! The crazy thing is, Mick has a gift, and it catches the eye of a neighbor, with a rather aristocratic wife. Mick is great with a camera, and he doesn't even know it.

This shows a lot of things. It takes a big tough guy, putting him into the not-so-tough, but it does so much more. It slams home what the measure of a man really is. It illustrates that any fool can preach a sermon, but you don't always have to run your mouth to get a real message across! It takes the man who can knock out your teeth with a single punch, and beautifully shows how that same man can capture an image in ways that some artists only dream about. It takes a daddy, and it shows you a daddy who loves his family, regardless of the circumstances.

This was no "Bad Ground", and it wasn't meant to be. This was meant to shine some light. The beauty and color just come naturally with it. Thank you, Mr. Cramer. Once again, you've held me captive with a great read.

In SUMMER OF LIGHT, Dale Cramer shows us yet another side of writing talent. In his previous novel, LEVI'S WILL, we met with a stern Amish family, but SUMMER OF LIGHT is filled with the humor and pathos that is the average contemporary family, struggling to get through life. Our hero, Mick Brannigan, is a blue collar working stiff who through a series of events becomes a stay-at-home dad. He faces the challenges and learns a lot about himself and daring to dream. There is much in this book that will make you smile, and it may even inspire you to meet some new challenges of your own. SUMMER OF LIGHT lives up to its name, and will leave you with a happy heart and feeling good by the time it's done.

The thoughts I had:
- A story that made me look at how important guys are to families. Dads are different and something else.
- A story about a door closing - and how many other doors can then open.
- One of those stories when some of the sentences just blow off the page with an ah ha moment.
I just couldn't put this book down. How can an author keep entertaining us with something different. I thought his other books were good, didn't think this one could top it...He did it again. P.S.-Great laughs too!

What I love about this novel is the way that Mr. Crammer introduces the Christian faith, in the everyday life of the protagonists in this excellent novel. Also, being a father of three, I was able to relate to Mick Brannigan's thoughts and feelings in relation to work, his family, and his wife. The characters are colourful, and the message universal, regardless of your faith, or lack of.

This has been my favorite of Cramer's books. A joy to read. I laughed out loud in parts. True to life. Cramer's books to me, are men's stories that will appeal to women. Very masculine without compromising heart and tenderness. A sweet read!

Mick Brannigan is a man's man, an ironworker who climbs to the top of tall buildings to ply his trade. When he loses his job, his world comes crashing down, and he is reluctant to be a stay-at-home dad in order to tend to his developmentally-delayed, 4-year-old son. Mick learns a lot of valuable lessons, one of the most important being how difficult it is to be a full-time, 24-hour-a-day parent. He combines child raising, house maintenance, cooking, and cleaning with sometimes hilarious results. He also discovers a hidden talent that he has and begins to have a vague desire to have a spiritual life. This book has many moods. At times, it's contemplative and at others it's hilarious, such as when the family takes a trip to Disney World (or Hell, as Mick calls it.) The author has a way of creating a very believable family in a fictional world and then drawing the reader in. I look forward to reading more books by W. Dale Cramer.

It's about the worst thing that can happen to a construction worker --- a freak accident that exposes an alleged safety hazard. For Mick Brannigan, an ironworker who thrives on "high steel," the accident stops his reliable routine in its tracks. But it's not his relatively minor injury that shakes up his world; instead, it's the loss of his job. The project manager can't risk another safety violation, and he fires Mick for gross negligence. To make matters worse, Mick's wife, Layne, begins pressuring him to stop looking for a job. Their four-year-old son, Dylan, needs constant supervision and a predictable routine; she reasons that her job in a law office could support the family, and Mick could stay at home with Dylan and their two school-age children.

For a man whose identity is wrapped up in his job, and whose father bailed on his family when he was a child, the idea of not being the provider does not sit well with Mick. But Layne's arguments eventually win out. He concedes that her plan makes sense, and he agrees to become a stay-at-home dad --- for a while. He used to manage a crew of tough construction workers on high-rise buildings. How hard could it be?

While that premise makes for some pretty funny scenarios, the heart of the book is the profound transformation of a man and his family. That transformation results in part from the unfamiliar situations that Mick is confronted with, but the greatest catalysts for change are the people in his life. W. Dale Cramer is a master at drawing believable, authentic male characters, and he gives every man in Mick's life the same attention to detail that he gives to Mick. The Man with No Hands, a homeless man whose intellectual insights "send everyone's wackometer into the red zone"; the eccentric neighbor Hap on one side and perfectionist neighbor Aubrey on the other; the construction workers; the residents of Overpass Plantation, a homeless community --- Cramer created each character with precision and care. And the women and children hardly get short shrift; Layne, her sister, the children, and even the dog have strong, finely developed personalities that have a distinctive impact on Mick.

Anyone who figures that Dale Cramer is a couple of books overdue for the inevitable sophomore jinx may as well give up. SUMMER OF LIGHT is his fourth book, and it's every bit as captivating as the previous three --- maybe even more so. With some authors, you can figure on reading only a few pages or a chapter to see if it's worth it. Not so with Cramer. His storytelling is so compelling, his writing style so exquisite that the reader doesn't stand a chance. He makes you resent your need to sleep and work and live a normal life; all you want to do is keep reading.

What sets Cramer apart as an author is his apparent insistence on strengthening every element of his novels to the max. There just aren't any weaknesses. As always, his characters are the people we see everyday, the people we know, the people who actually live and breathe and populate our communities. The dialogue reflects conversations you've heard and participated in. The story rings true. The imagery is nothing short of magnificent. And the ending is, as always, just right.

SUMMER OF LIGHT is a warm, engaging book --- and, like all of Cramer's novels, a rarity in contemporary fiction: a novel that will appeal to men without sacrificing the interest of female readers.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

I've read all four of Mr. Cramer's novels. Interestingly, the Christy-Award winners were not my favorites. I felt that Sutter's Cross (his first novel) was the most finely-tuned and "real" of the four novels, with Summer of Light its runner-up.

Within the first few chapters, I knew the characters--and I loved them. The focus on photography in this novel lent itself to vivid description and also revealed a much deeper understanding of how each person viewed life.

Cramer's quirky characters are interesting but believable, and the Christian message is always clear but not overbearing. He strikes a perfect balance. Dale Cramer is a Master Craftsman.