The Summer Son by Craig Lancaster

The Summer Son

Author:  Craig Lancaster

Publisher:  AmazonEncore

Date Published:  January 25th 2011

From Goodreads:  

He owed a lot of people, but I was the only one left to collect. I told myself that I didn’t care about him, only about what he owed me, whatever that was.

I even tried to believe it.

When Mitch Quillen’s life begins to unravel, he fears there is no escape. His marriage and his career are both failing, and his relationship with his father has been a disaster for decades. Approaching forty, Mitch doesn’t want to become a middle-aged statistic. When his estranged father, Jim, suddenly calls, Mitch’s wife urges him to respond. Ready for a change, Mitch heads to Montana and a showdown that will alter the course of his life. Amid a backdrop of rugged peaks and valleys, the story unfolds: a violent episode that triggered the rift, thirty years of miscommunication, and the possibility of misplaced blame. In Craig Lancaster’s powerful novel, The Summer Son, readers are invited into a family where conflict and secrets prevail, and where hope for healing and redemption is possible.

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I am a huge fan of Craig Lancaster's debut book, 600 Hours of Edward, naturally when given the opportunity to review his sophomore book The Summer Son I jumped on the chance.

Right off the bat we know that there is tension and problems between Mitch and his dad, Jim.  We get the story of how this came to be with flashbacks.  Each chapter rotates between the present and the past circa 1979.  The present story, as well as the past one are equally great.  Mitch along with the reader find out what exactly  happened that changed father and son's relationship those many summers ago.   The Summer Son takes you for an emotional ride with a ending that is both shocking and understanding.    

Craig Lancaster's characters are amazing.  Mitch is a great solid character with depth, and just the right amount of complexity.  The character of Jim hit a spot for me, because my dad is a lot like him.  He's quiet and not very affectionate, but you know he loves you.   As I said, the characters are all so authentic and real.  

The Summer Son is a really great read, and I totally endorse this book, as well as Craig Lancaster.  I do have one problem though, the covers .  Not really a determining  factor in reading books, but I really do like pretty covers.