Summer of Light, by W. Dale Cramer An AtHomeDaddy Review

Occasionally I get asked to review products or books for this blog. For some reason I always seem a little flattered, but I had not accepted any of these items until last week. A book finally caught my attention and seemed to provide appropriate blog fodder.

I just finished reading an advance copy of Summer of Light, By W. Dale Cramer. A story of a Stay At Home Dad (SAHD) trying to be a full-time parent and trying to remain a "real man" at the same time.

When I first started my SAHD gig, I was worried a lot about how our our families and our friends at church would view our new family structure. Generally I got a good reception. Still there were times that I hesitated to reveal my chosen occupation. So when I learned that Bethany House Publishers brings Christan books to the marketplace, I was interested in how one of their authors would address a father who would not be seen as the traditional head of his household.

After reading the book, I suspected that Mr. Cramer had spent some time in the trenches. His stories of a full time father's life ring too true to be a simple work of fiction. It is as if he were sometimes peeking into our household to see what being a full time dad is all about. After reading his bio page, I learned that my assumption is correct.

I would also bet he learned his lessons about ruining the wife's laundry the hard way, too. Just as the main character, Mick, did. And I did. So did most every SAHD I have ever met.

Mick and I have a lot in common. Tons of important questions. Few answers. And most of the time there is simply no time to think about the big questions. Instead there are times of chasing dogs and kids through the house, trying to keep an old truck running and following the trail from one mess to the next disaster.

But in the quiet times between the chaos and the craziness there is a chance that a man will find answers to his questions. And hopefully, like Mick Brannigan, someday I'll fly right into those answers.

When I pick up a novel I need to be entertained. If a book makes me laugh, I'll cruise through it quickly. Because of that, I found Summer of Light a quick read and I am looking forward to checking out the rest of Mr. Cramer's work.

An aside. Usually one passage will stick with me as I read a novel. This book was no exception. I found my favorite line barely 50 pages into the story:

"A baby is a lot like an old truck— it leaks and makes weird noises. Clean up the mess, top off the fluids, and the noises usually stop."