(all reviews shared verbatim from their respective sources)
REVIEWS FOR DUSK AND SUMMER
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5.0 out of 5.0 stars The book is really fabulous by Rob Bradley on February 3, 2022 via Amazon
The author has written a fabulous inspirational book on poetry that really connects in a meaningful manner, I recommend this book completely
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5.0 out of 5.0 stars Such a beautiful written novella this author clearly poured his heart and soul into by Jenifer on November 6, 2021
The unbound love between a son and his father. This book gripped me from the moment I started it. Emotionally encompassing love, loss, fantasy and all of the feelings in between. Poetic in its beauty and written straight from the author’s heart. This novella will grip you, make you feel and paint the most lovely imagery in your mind along the way. I highly, highly recommend this book.
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5.0 out of 5.0 stars Oh wow by Kate Poulas on May 1, 2021 via Amazon
What an incredibly written book. I did not expect to feel the emotions that this stirred up. What a beautiful and heart felt story. Definitely recommend if you have gone through losing a loved one.
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5.0 out of 5.0 stars An Astonishing and beautiful book by Renee on November 29, 2020 via Amazon
This is a story that was written with the love and understanding that is so seldom these days. It is not often that we are allowed to view the human soul so touchingly on display, but this author has managed to not only let us see, but let us feel, his pain, his sorrow, his love. This is a beautiful tribute from someone who understands what it truly means to feel.
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5. 0 out of 5.0 stars Touching Blend of Fantasy, Reality and Love by Maria Gianna Iannucci on February 27, 2019 via Amazon
Dusk and Summer is a beautiful testament to a life well lived. Joseph Pinto weaves together autobiographical history, the folklore of the sea, and heartbreaking inner journey into a story that is riveting and inspirational. The descriptions are expositional and poetic, and his attention to detail leaves the reader with the sensation of dangling in the liminal space between fantasy and reality. Simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, Dusk and Summer is an expression of contrast in the inner human condition. I savored every word.
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5.0 out of 5.0 stars I love it by Denise Wertz on February 7, 2019 via Amazon
A great read.
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4.0 out of 5 stars A unique, poignant story of illness, loss, acceptance and undying love by Sayara St. Clair on July 25, 2018 (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
Joseph Pinto’s distinctive voice and use of rather poetic prose creates some gorgeous imagery in his book, Dusk and Summer.
The writing is beautiful, inspired by pain and sorrow. The emotions conveyed are real and raw. There is also a magical/fantastical element to the story. These all combine to create a unique tale that is in turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, and most importantly, a wonderful tribute to Pinto’s hero—his father.
An advocate for pancreatic cancer research and awareness, the author will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the book to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Please support this author and the cause.
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5.0 out of 5 stars And even if we let go, this isn’t good-bye for good-byes do not exist by Melissa R. Mendelson March 21, 2018 (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
We need to hold onto something. We need to plant our feet firmly into the sand and allow the past to roll over us like a calming sea, washing away the ugly truth. We need to chase something, anything, even if it’s just a bunch of ghosts, but it would silence the piercing howl that begs to be released. We need to disappear, melt into sweet oblivion and forget, but it’s not so easy to forget especially with that lingering touch of death against our skin, a cool shiver to remind us that we can’t simply close our eyes and dream all of this away. No matter how hard we grasp at what was or drop to our knees and scream out our fury or pain, it won’t change anything for everything has changed. All we can do is remember who they are, our heroes, our angels, and we need to hold tight to that, the memories and love that we shared. And even if we let go, this isn’t good-bye for good-byes do not exist. It’s only, “See you laters,” and maybe we will see them again. But until then, we carry their torch, lightening the way for others with their own stories to tell like Joseph A. Pinto’s “Dusk and Summer,” who will be donating a portion of the proceeds from his book to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
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5.0 out of 5 stars The relationship between a father and a son can be… by Allie on December 22, 2016 (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
The relationship between a father and a son can be expressed as perhaps the most important relationship that a man endures in his lifetime. This is the relationship that influences a man and all other relationships that a man has throughout his life. A strong father figure is important for a man to be able to mature into a person of strong character and a respectable citizen. In “Dusk and Summer, the relationship between the writer and his father is the example of a father and son relationship that is desired by all of us.
The unique circumstances of each family and each individual are never simple to navigate. Not during childhood, or adulthood. This is an elegant and honest story of an adult relationship that will help us understand how fathers influence their sons’ lives – with their presence, their absence, their encouragement, and ultimately, the lessons these men pass along from one generation to the next.
As a reader you begin to understand that having a strong father will play an important role in the lives of their sons and this is seen not only in literature, but also throughout history and in the world today.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Loss and a Tribute to Love by Tammy Peters on November 22, 2016 (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
This book tells of the unspoken love and bond between a father and son who journey toward understanding that human limitations don’t govern the power of the human spirit. More than just a beautiful story, this book contains a message about the merciless beast that is pancreatic cancer and the author’s dedication to spread awareness for a cure. There are many ways to honor the passing of a parent, but I can think of few others who have done it in such a touching and poignant way as Joseph A. Pinto.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Read…. by Diana Matisz on November 17, 2016 (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
I haven’t know Joseph Pinto for very long and I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I discovered that it’s a lovely reminder that no matter what genre a writer is best known for, one can always write ‘outside the box’, when moved to do so. Joseph’s dedication to the memory of his father and his steadfast determination to glean something inspiring from his death is beautiful. In this book the difficult journey from life to death, and that of securing answers to questions that haunt this journey, becomes a peaceful one of love and honor. We should all be so fortunate to have someone who loves us as much as Joseph loves his father.
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5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK! NOW! by Amazon Customer on November 6, 2016
The statistic’s of the survival rate of this disease is appalling and more should be done…The opening paragraph of this poignant novella sets the tone for a masterful weaving of fact and fiction…a son who is crushed by the lack of his ability to help his dying father…a father who had always been strong, dependable and honorable…and the unfairness of a disease that took that away so completely!…I was curious as I continued to read Joseph’s story, on how it would end…you never got a glimpse of the ending until you were there! …and then you understand fully the reason of his father’s request and the journey Joseph went on to fulfill that…please buy the book and help in anyway you can…those who suffer from this terrible disease…thank you Joseph!
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5.0 out of 5 stars from Bekki Pate via Goodreads on July 21, 2016
This book was very emotional for me because my mother passed away of the same disease, and a lot of what Joseph talks about in the book I can relate to.
This was a beautiful tribute to his father, and although it was short, it is a story that will stay with me.
The magical aspect of his story also adds to the question – what happens when you die? Or when you are on the brink of death? I hope it’s as lovely as Joseph describes in this poignant story of a son’s love for his father.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully heartbreaking journey of discovery, July 9, 2016 by K.J. Simmill via Amazon (UK)
Dusk and Summer by Joseph Pinto is a beautiful heart warming story. Written in the first person narrative and combining tragedy with seeds of urban fantasy. It follows the heartbreaking tale of a son sent on a final request from his father, as he lies dying. “Find me from Tolten.” This last adventure is one of discovery, a son recalling and remembering the greatness of his father during his journey, gaining new insight into the man he loved and respected and one needed as much by the son as the father. But there was more to his father than he realised, and mysteries which may never be explained.
Joseph Pinto knows how to write pain. He is an expert at bringing to life vivid and heart-wrenching emotions in a way a reader cannot help but feel the grief of the main character. His pain is yours to share. Dusk and Summer beautifully portrays a father son relationship, from hero worship to deep respect. The finally crafted imagery is pure poetry casting a spell of beauty over a tragic, yet magical tale. This book is about loss and captures it in a pure and real form. It is a truly amazing read.
This is one book I highly recommend, touching, engrossing and magical. As an added incentive Joseph Pinto will be donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. I myself have already gifted a copy to someone I know will enjoy it.
I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review, I have however since also purchased this. How could I not?
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5.0 out of 5 stars Pancreatic Cancer Sucks, December 28, 2015 by Nicole R. Reynolds via Amazon
This book hits close to home as it is about Pancreatic Cancer, and I recently lost my dad to the disease. A must read for anyone, especially if you’re going through seasons of change.
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5.0 stars out of 5 A Beautiful Tribute to a Beloved Father, May 26, 2015 by Mark J. Stephens via Amazon
A beautiful tribute to a beloved father, and a son’s heartfelt attempt to impart his dying wish. Written with raw, brutal emotion, it grips you from the first page. A brilliant read!
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5 star review from Deidre via GOODREADS on April 29, 2015 by Deidre
How do I describe this tale?
First, the author has a distinctive voice which carries you easily from one moment to the next. For some that voice may come across as more poetic than what one would expect from such a story, possibly expecting turns of phrase that don’t seem so intricate. It is intricate and descriptive, but in my humble opinion, it’s that very voice which adds a different dimension, making this story more exceptional.
With regard to the story itself, the blurb will tell you what it’s about. But I’ll say this: The journey you travel, for it is a journey of the heart, mind, body and soul, is one where you will feel the aching desperation of pleading for just one more day. The remembrance of moments in time you knew held something important, even though they previously lay forgotten become vivid as if the moment just occurred. When it comes time, you’ll feel ridiculous and hesitant in the pursuit of fulfilling an old promise, and then a sense of truth in a time of unbelievable consequence. But it’s that moment of bittersweet acceptance where a weight is lifted not just from your shoulders but from another as well; the moment that helps you smile through the tears? That’s the one where you know the journey meant something more than just reaching the destination. And it’s not just the main character on this journey, it’s you.
The icing on this lovely story? A portion of the proceeds is donated to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. You get a great tale, others get some assistance in helping to further understand and hopefully find a cure.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Heart Touching Tribute, March 26, 2015 by Pamela Sims via Amazon
What a beautiful heart touching tribute by a son to his father. Heartbreaking, yet heartwarming…. Few stories will make you feel as if you just met a real life hero, but this is one of them. Thank you for allowing your readers to meet your father, he must have been a great man.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Very Descriptive and Well Written Book March 5, 2015 by Olivia Fox (United Kingdom) via Amazon
Joseph wrote this beautiful book as a tribute to his long suffering father. It brought a tear to my eye reading it as my father too died of cancer at the age of 63.This book depicts the strong bond and closeness between father and son in such a convincing way, inflicting real pathos on the readers towards the author for his sad loss.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful December 30, 2014 by Zozie (United Kingdom) (Verified Purchase via Amazon)
I read this in one sitting not knowing what to expect, but Joseph Pinto has written a beautiful and heartfelt tale. I lost my Mum in Dec 2012 to Pancreatic Cancer and have been struggling at times with the grief, this beautiful tale helped to bring me some peace about her death.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Story Masterfully Written! December 27, 2014 by Michelle Ketterman “Michelle K” (Florida, United States) via Amazon
Wow! This book is an expertly crafted prose that masterfully combines a heartfelt story of love and devotion with a bit of whimsy. The story is creative and powerful and I truly enjoyed every single word! Well done Joseph A. Pinto!
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5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional Read from a Talented Author, December 10, 2014 by Christopher (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
I write this review from a place many people can relate to. I write this review from a spot within myself that is not empty, but filled with the grief-stricken, the disheartened, the broken.
Dusk and Summer is a tribute to one man’s personal hero, his father. A tribute to a man who was larger than life and more honorable that any ten men. A promise made, and then kept; “… never drop the ball”
I write this review as a reader, a father and a son… secretly hoping to leave a legacy like this for my own children… also knowing that I am working through a tale, not unlike this one of which, the outcome is still too far to see, yet to close for comfort.
This was a brilliant look into the life of a man I will never know, but who I feel I would have been honored to have met. Heartfelt and emotional, Joseph captured what he was feeling and told a story that I didn’t want to put down, a story his father would have been proud of. It takes a fair amount of courage to open yourself and Joseph did exactly that. He opened up his heart, his family and his life to share with the readers.
This is one story that will stay with me! Well done, Mr. Pinto… well done, indeed.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Touching and Memorable, November 15, 2014 by NicholCon (Verified Purchase – Kindle Edition) via Amazon
“I lost my father between dusk and summer. Perhaps he left me long before I care to admit, long before he refused his last meals, long before his spent eyes flickered like candles behind cracked panes of some forlorn, abandoned house. Before his neglected muscles jellied into the folds of his stark white hospital sheet, and the rise of his chest grew shallower and weak. Maybe it was plain selfishness on my behalf; sitting at his bedside all those times, soothing his ears with encouragement as I squeezed his hand, desperate to impart the very courage and determination he had infused into me over my years. Even as he relied on me to raise a flimsy plastic cup of ice water to his parched lips. Had I become too scared to realize or just too blinded to ask: whose fight did this now become?”
Great writing always comes from somewhere genuine inside the author. Influences are numerous, of course; a novel could be born out of something beautiful, something sorrowful or even something ugly, but the best writing is always a reflection of one’s truest self. For novelists, the keyboard is the translator of the soul’s voice. As George Orwell once famously said, “good prose is like a windowpane.”
From the very first page of Joseph Pinto’s Dusk and Summer, quoted above, the reader knows that he or she is in for something heartfelt—and breathtakingly real.
Even if I hadn’t read that Pinto’s novella was inspired by his real life, it would have been obvious from the outset. I understand it completely, having gone through similarly heartwrenching experiences; I understand the place where this story is coming from, and why it needed to be told. The emotions stirred up are passionately real, and Dusk and Summer is sure to create a stirringly empathic response in anyone who has ever lost a parent. The mix of emotions is not saccharine, but amazingly genuine. The sadness, the anger, the guilt, the unrelenting feeling that now, out of nowhere, the person who gave so much to you needs your help—and there’s no way you can ever fully repay them.
In the novella, the protagonist goes off on a strange journey at his father’s request. He ventures out to the beach, where he rediscovers his father’s past—uncovering a fascinating and mythological being that his father kept secret for all of his years. This magical presence integrates perfectly into the story, fleshing out its meaning and representing all of the magic that good parents give to their children, the magic that many hope to someday transfer to their own children.
And as the protagonist must go off and discover his past, so must all children. When the time comes, when parents cease to be icons and are revealed for the real, flawed people they truly are—this is when true understanding can finally occur. Dusk and Summer is a deeply authentic novel, with a beautiful message that won’t be soon forgotten.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and Intriguing Tale, September 29, 2014 by ‘Amazon Customer’ (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
Joseph Pinto knows how to weave a tale mixed with sadness and delight, along with intrigue and mystical wonder. He has a knack of conveying depth and emotion in his characters that leaves you wanting more. This short story is well worth a read.
Not only do you get the chance to read this wonderful tale, but some of the proceeds of this book go towards helping out a charity for Pancreatic cancer.
Joseph Pinto is a very talented writer and I will be keeping a look out for his next book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Myth, August 2, 2014 by Aniko Carmean via Amazon
There are two types of coming of age stories. The common one, with which we are all familiar, examines the psychological and emotional landscape of a boy becoming a man. The less common concerns the next great leap, a transition for which we have no name, but which happens when our parents pass away and we are left to understand a world in which we are the elders, the guardians, the guides. DUSK AND SUMMER, a novella by Joseph Pinto, is of the latter type.
In the forward, Pinto reveals that he lost his father to the ravages of pancreatic cancer. DUSK AND SUMMER is Pinto’s tribute to the man who loved, raised, and inspired him. It is a beautiful elegy that transcends the personal nature of the content to reveal something essential about life: DUSK AND SUMMER shows us the unselfish nature of love. Love, in Pinto’s narrative, is about shared moments as much as it is about knowing when to let go, and intuiting the wholeness that only death can restore. Eons ago, Epictetus advised “never say about anything, I have lost it, but say I have restored it.” People of faith have ritual and community to guide them to acceptance. If there is a hereafter, then Omega is Alpha, and the only reason we cannot recognize that in the same dry, factual way in which we recognize the elements in the periodic table is because we are limited – locked into – our Now, our Here. The challenge of discovering faith in a “beyond” is the hallmark of this second, nameless coming of age. DUSK AND SUMMER is the story of moving to the acceptance that what is lost, who is lost, is restored to wholeness in a way we cannot rationalize, touch, or mentally conceive.
***Spoiler Alert! Some plot points are revealed in the next paragraph, but the true magic of the myth is preserved. You’ll love the way Pinto brings it all together, so get the book!***
Pinto presents his theory of this transition as a myth. Myth is the most natural means humans have to absorb ideas that exist outside of reason. DUSK AND SUMMER leads the protagonist, an intentionally unnamed Everyman, on a mystical journey from the symbolically laden memories of the Tolten, a sunken ship, to the concrete locale of 141 Sea Cargo Drive. His dying father sent him there, with instructions to do what must be done. A woman of otherworldly beauty meets him on the beach. The protagonist understands, with a soul-shock, that he is tasked with helping her guide his father’s soul to the other side. Initially, he fights the idea of his father’s departure. This is the vestige of the child in him, crying and gripping his father’s trouser leg. It is this sentimental attachment that must give way to unselfish acceptance in the second coming of age. His father gave him everything he needs to enter the second stage of adulthood, and to honor all his father gave, the son must let go. The son fully takes on the strength which was in the father, and uses it to carry his father across the threshold to a new life. The end of a life, and of DUSK AND SUMMER, is bittersweet. The myth is completed, and the narrator arrives in the next phase of his maturity. DUSK AND SUMMER is a beautiful tribute, and a salve for all psyches battered by the loss of a beloved parent.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, August 1, 2014 by Mari Wells via Amazon
This story gets under your skin, but not in the way you’d expect from Joseph A. Pinto. The terror you experience while reading Dusk and Summer is something we all go through sooner or later, the death of a parent, and the gaping hole that’s left. This son is sent on a task by his dying father, completing the task helps him not only accept his dad’s death, but understand who he was years ago.
Dusk and Summer weaves fact and fiction in such a way, you can’t sit the book down.
Unable to leave the world of sorrow and happiness Pinto created I read cover to cover in one sitting.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Take the time to read “Dusk and Summer,” July 3, 2014 by ‘Cabin Goddess’ Kriss Morton (book reviewer) via the ‘Cabin Goddess’ blog site
I’m a lover of short stories and novellas, not because the are quicker to read but because it’s actually one of the hardest and most disciplined types of stories to write and really pull off well. For a reviewer, however, it can be very hard review to write, especially with one so deserving of my absolute very best. As the author states below, “A fantasy is born of equal parts magic and truth; a writer’s promise to his audience should be a seamless telling of the two“. He nailed it with this statement, especially relating to his own work. Joseph A. Pinto’s Dusk and Summer is one of those literary works which has left me teary eyed with the smell of salt hovering on my scent memory.
A compassionate goodbye, a tribute to his father and a story which many of its readers will find themselves flooded with their own memories of loved ones who are no longer with them. I grew up on the beach, some of the things mentioned within this piece of literary fiction mean something to me on that relatable level. I know I won’t be able to read the next book in my pile as planned starting tomorrow because frankly it would be unfair, it is a zombie book after all. I believe I will wait so I can dream haunting dreams of wave people and perhaps my grandfather will come to me on the beach in my dreams.
This novella is a darkly beautiful journey granting all who read a coveted backstage pass to . Hidden like flotsam on the edge of its pages the allegorical dark lines of this piece. The protagonist a son whose father is about to die of pancreatic cancer asking his son to do something which, as he does, we’re graced with being able to go with him. Neither the son nor the father’s names are given, the only name is Dawn, his father’s nurse. I will note here, for those who choose to pick this book up, this is completely intentional in my not so humble opinion. As I sit here hours after finishing the afternoon read I still keep tearing up and remember my loss and the journey to get to my beach. Such a powerful story device.
I am so very glad I choose to review this instead of interview him or something else for this tour stop. The story will haunt me, not like a horror novel but a novel of a related experience told in this embracing fashion. Thank you for gifting your readers a peek into your own, Joseph.
I highly recommend this novella which all ways to obtain it for your own reading pleasure are below in the book information. One more thing, and it is a very important thing I think:
The author will be donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
(I received this book from Sirens Call in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
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5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful modern fairy tale tribute, June 28, 2014 by Mrs. Karen M. Soutar
This beautifully written tale weaves fact and fantasy seamlessly. Joseph Pinto wrote this story in honour of his father, and I think his father would be very proud. At first you think you’re going to read a factual account of the days just before his father’s death, but Joe takes the story in a new fantastical direction which nevertheless fits perfectly. Don’t want to give too much away! Read it – and you will also be contributing to a great cause.
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5.0 out of 5 stars An original story and a wonderful homage, June 25, 2015 by Cristina via Amazon
This was a wonderful read! The style captivates and pulls you in the story, as it creates a contained space for characters to evolve and tell their story in a most original manner.
I found the novel to contain complex elements. One main character made me think of the mythical water nymphs who presided over waters. This in combinational with the theme of losing someone dear made not only for a most interesting read but also an unusual one. Moreover, the death theme is given a new angle. Instead of coping with it and finding closure suddenly, the novel shows a different side of death, and how coping is really a process above all else (in this case quite a fantastic one)
It’s a touching prose that I believe will make all readers think of their own lost loved ones and bring that sharp pain that everyone knows and for whom it might have become numb with the years.
Excellent!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! This story is packed with emotion, June 22, 2014 by Anonymous via Barnes and Noble
Wow! This story is packed with emotion. It’s a roller coaster ride of pain, loss, love, and fantastical mysteries only a few are privileged enough to experience. It’s clear the author poured his heart and soul into every page and created a fitting resting place for his father using his imagination and talent. If you like a fast-paced, emotionally-packed book – you’ll love this one! After the story ends, it doesn’t just end there. The author goes on to tell of his father’s real life struggle, and what inspired him to write a tribute for him and his life. Don’t misunderstand, this book isn’t about his father’s struggle with cancer, it’s about the way the author imagined his father would have loved to be remembered. Plus, each sale helps in the fight against pancreatic cancer. It’s a two for one, and once you start reading it, you won’t want to stop!
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5.0 out of 5 stars A truly heartfelt, emotion packed story, June 22, 2014 by Anonymous via Barnes and Noble
A truly heartfelt, emotion packed story from a son to his deceased father. The profit from the sale of this book is going to the Lustgarten Foundation. The story made me laugh and cry at time. Wonderfully written.
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5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn’t put this book down, June 10, 2014 by Anonymous via Barnes and Noble
i couldn’t put this book down. you can tell that the author poured his heart and soul into this story, and the close relationship he had with his father resonates on every page. i highly recommend to anyone who wants to ready a truly great story.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A must read journey of life, love and magic, June 10, 2014 by Jaimie M. Engle via Amazon
This is a breathtaking novel. Pinto paints an enviable love for a dying father and the sea beckoning him through revealed secrets and seductive strangers. Life’s journey is never easy or predictable, as Pinto details in this fable somewhere between Dusk and Summer. A must read…
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5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant account of loss and acceptance, May 8, 2014 by Maria M via Amazon
Parents are a child’s lifelines. Even when it grows into its own skin, defying their role in its life, they remain vital points of reference; a mainstay. Losing a parent can make even a strong grown man lose his bearings. If it’s the father a son loses, and the loss is untimely and unjust, the immeasurable pain makes the path to acceptance difficult to find and even more difficult to tread.
This uphill trudge is presented here by Joseph A. Pinto who lost his father to pancreatic cancer. A “tough son-of-a-gun,” a seemingly indomitable presence in the author’s life. It is an emotional account; raw and harrowing. But it is also a magical road trip with soul-lifting pit stops that miraculously guide the traveler—otherwise completely lost and deeply wounded—to a glorious destination, known only to his father, pointed to by bits and pieces that he could have easily dismissed as just incoherent ramblings of a dying man. Thankfully, he didn’t.
The writing is excellent and delivers in a unique albeit heart-rending way. Known for his unique horror-writing prose, Joseph seamlessly presents his experience through some of the strongest, most poignant similes I’ve ever encountered in a book.
Even though the subject is sensitive and painful, I highly recommend this book because the endnote is essentially optimistic, and it once more proves that although life is perishable, true love never is.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A touch of magic, May 1, 2014 by John Michelis (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
An heartwarming and intimate journey of grief, loss and devotion. A masterfully written tale of the special bond between father and son, with an unexpected touch of magic…..
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5.0 out of 5 stars An emotional journey, April 23, 2014 by Julie (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
A heart warming story of a sons love and dedication to his father. Im very pleased with my purchase, highly recommended!
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Story, April 18, 2014 by A. Sheehan (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
What a wonderfully written story about a man and his love for his father. You can feel the pain, the hope, the magic and mystery in every page. Even the hardest heart will be warmed by this tale.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Journey, April 18, 2014 by Craig (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
In Dusk and Summer, Joseph Pinto has written the story of a son’s life-altering journey. With mastered prose, the raw emotion inspired by the loss of his father bleeds through into every line of the story. Dusk and Summer is a story of love and honor that stirs deep emotions for anyone who has lost a loved one.
Well done, Mr. Pinto, and I applaud your efforts to raise money for The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research in hopes of one day defeating this horrible disease.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Wave of Intrigue, April 16, 2014 by Deb (Verified Purchase) via Amazon
Dusk and Summer is a heartfelt journey through reality and a caress of ingenuity, a tribute to a beloved father. At first I thought the story would take me back to my memories of losing a loved one, but instead the author took me on a quest that drew me in the depths of a fulfilled request. Joseph A. Pinto words paint a visual with feelings in an eloquent way. I was there … outside looking in and yet felt part of it. Simply a must read for those who have been there for a loved one … a journey, a fight for life, a final sunset.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Dusk and Summer – A Review, March 28, 2012 by Kimberly Gers via Amazon
It has been a long time since a book has held me captive, curled and cuddled beneath my covers until its pages were through with my mind. Dusk and Summer by Joseph A. Pinto kept me prisoner this afternoon while I hungrily devoured every last sentence down to the final period.
The novella published by Pinto in 2008 is a deeply personal metaphysical journey that we are guests on. The beginning of the novella brought out the English teacher in me; I wanted to make some corrections. It seemed to me like he was using to many words when fewer would have allowed the tale to flow more evenly.
The rocky beginning may turn off some readers with grammar Nazi tendencies, but true lovers of written word need to continue on. After all, didn’t E.E. Cummings used grammar flexibly to make a point, to draw us in and search for his meanings. Perfect grammar does not make a good story, it can help, but there still needs to be the essential magic that a true storyteller brings.
Slowly, as I continued on through the pages the story took hold of me and I forgot all about my desire to edit and became the reader captivated.
If you are tempted in novels to skip the foreward and go straight to the meat of the book; don’t. You will miss some much needed information about the author and how this book was birthed as well as the love behind it. All books in one form or another are born of an author’s heart. This one came from a love grown and nurtured over decades between a father and a son. It is also about letting go and following the wishes of a love one.
There is a villain, one that I have had personal experience with, cancer. It claws and rakes families with misery. Some survive, and others goes through what the Pinto family did. They sit day after day with their love ones doing everything they can to make it though the next day, hour or minute with their sanity in tacked. Hoping and praying for miracles that never come. Searching for meaning.
This is a book about one man’s search for meaning; about a son looking for a way to fulfill his father’s last wish and finding strength in his father’s life and death. It also continues the fight against the villain by contributing a portion of the proceeds to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautifully Moving Story, January 31, 2012 by Nina D’Arcangela “Darcnina” (NY) via Amazon
`Dusk and Summer’ is a beautifully written story of the love and devotion a son feels for his dying father. Mr. Pinto spins a tale so eloquently heart wrenching that as the reader, one can’t help but feel his pain and anguish over losing a man he so clearly respects and cherishes. His utter desperation to honor those memories is evident in every shared pain, remembrance, and fanciful metaphor. Mr. Pinto has immortalized his father in the most exquisite way possible with this tale. This is a genuinely lovely story, with a beautiful wish for his father’s eternal happiness that moved me to tears. Beyond having the grace to share not only his talent as a writer, but his grief as a son, Mr. Pinto is also donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to Pancreatic Cancer Research in his father’s name – this generosity of spirit alone is reason enough for me to want to support him and his efforts to share his father’s story with the world.
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5.0 out of 5 stars See You Later, January 20, 2012 by Stauroylla Papadopoulouvia Amazon
This is a wonderful book
I lost my best friend and my father last year,so for me this book it was very difficult to start reading,but after the first page i knew that this story i was not just about death it was also about the life and love.
The way this writer use words is so beautiful and Unique that makes the reader go beyond the grief and painful memories
There is nothing more devastating than the death of a loved one. And whether it comes suddenly and unexpectedly, or a long and painful illness, …Saying goodbye to them always hurts
I loved this book because it make me realise that i don’t have to say goodbye just….. See you later.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Great story!, December 14, 2011 by Colleen via Amazon
I read this book with great expectations as I know the author…as the tale continued, I realized how much I could relate to the story, as well as how much Mr. Pinto had to share with everyone (since it was the first time I was reading his work)…I’m glad that Mr. Pinto is sharing his talent with all of us. And I wish him the best of luck in all he does. And I’m looking forward to reading his other work in the future.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful tale of love, July 29, 2011 by Johanna K. Pitcairn “JKP” (New York, NY, USA) via Amazon
Reading the author’s words and feeling his pain as he tells us about the poignant journey of losing a loved one brought tears to my eyes. A must read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful tribute, July 5, 2011 by geliot via Amazon
Dusk and Summer is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m ready for more. It stands on its own as a novella with a powerful metaphor, a gripping story-line and vivid characters. What it adds is a beautiful tribute to a father lost too soon and a testament to their bond. It will resonate with many – but most especially with those who have lost someone dear.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure of a Book – must read, June 18, 2011 by juliadream (Deep Creek Lake, Maryland) via Amazon
Dusk and Summer is the moving story of author Joseph Pinto’s untimely and cruel loss of his father to pancreatic cancer. Told in a most eloquent and unexpected way, it fathoms the often silent depths of love between father and son. Through a metaphor of his father’s love for the sea, the author takes the reader on a sort of treasure hunt to the seaside itself where one is guided through pain,anguish and denial to acceptance and redemption in the astonishing realization of a legacy everlasting. The journey is one well worth taking and I highly recommend this book, not only as an inspiring read for oneself, but as a wonderful gift for loved ones, as well. It deeply touched my heart and will occupy an honored place on my own family’s bookshelf.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A novella that touches your soul, April 5, 2011 by Aline S. Iniestra via Amazon
I have been deeply touched by a novella named Dusk and Summer by Joseph A. Pinto. He’s a horror writer, and this story I will tell you about deals with death. That respected and feared moment or thing we all have to face. His book is dedicated to his father and I dare say, to all those who have had to go through a difficult time while enduring the passing of a beloved one. I am not saying it is a therapeutic reading, but a beautiful story filled with fantasy as well as reality. Personally, this story made me remember the time when my father died, and how all those feelings and thoughts described by Mr. Pinto were the same ones I had: fear, uncertainty, sadness and more. When I finished reading the book I smiled. Yes, I did.
Three main characters will take you through a journey of life and death; it will fill your mind with images of light and darkness; it will touch your soul with sadness, angst and happiness; it will make you think and want to feel; it will tell you of the things you already know but have been somehow ignored; it will give you several visions and phases of death; finally, it will make you live.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Inspirational, November 24, 2009 by Lori (New Jersey) via Amazon
Joseph A. Pinto’s touching tribute to his father is a testament to the love ,strength , and determination that grows out of loss. Mr. Pinto has written a stirring tale that intimately details the process of how we let go of those we love and how we miraculously find them, once again, after doing so. It is a story of faith, hope, and miracles. I highly recommend it and can only hope that Mr. Pinto will continue writing more truly inspiring books.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond my expectations…., November 11, 2009 by Amy Mehling (Wisconsin) via Amazon
I had started this book a bit biased, expecting nothing but a timeline of life between a father and son, together. Instead I was taken to a wonderful place I never would have imagined. I could picture, vibrantly, every aspect of what Joseph was describing; from sitting at father’s bedside, to laying Oceanside on the sand, I truly felt as if I were there and living the thoughts and words of the author.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Didn’t put this down until I finished it, July 4, 2009 by Michael V. Abraham (Toms River, NJ) via Amazon
Once again, you can feel Stephen King’s influence on Joseph Pinto for his novella “Dusk and Summer”. Pinto once again does a great job developing his main character’s emotional mindset. The author also helps the reader understand his motivation behind this by prefacing the novella with an overview of his relationship with his father. Once I picked up this book, I didn’t put it down, and finished it within a couple hours.
I would love to see this novella one day be combined with other short stories from Pinto. Luckily, I read this before “Flowers for Evelene”, so I was able to have another interesting story to read when I quickly got through this.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Dusk and Summer, June 26, 2009 by Jill Vopasek (Central Florida) via Amazon
I just got done reading Dusk and Summer and it was truly a touching amazing story about a son dealing with the loss of his beloved father. You can see the touching bond between father and son and the struggle he went through watching his father suffer. Once I started the book I couldn’t put it down. I felt every ounce of his pain knowing what its like to lose a parent. I can say that this a beautiful gift to those who are suffering grief of losing a loved one. It was well written and I am looking forward to reading Flowers for Evelene.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A STORY ANYONE CAN RELATE TO, June 20, 2009 by M.J. Garafalo (S.B., NJ, USA) via Amazon
With Dusk and Summer, Joe Pinto has definitely stepped out of his comfort zone of horror and written a very touching story. It is a story that anyone can relate to that has loved and lost in their lives. Dusk and Summer teaches a wonderful message of family, love and hope having a neverending existence in this world and beyond.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Everlasting Love, April 23, 2009 by Donna Glassman (Boston, MA) via Amazon
A heartfelt story of an Everlasting Love between a father and son. This book touched my heart and I couldn’t put it down. While reading this story I felt several different emotions…love, sadness, pride, respect and a sense of peace….. that’s just to mention a few. Joe Pinto was able to bring reality and fantasy together to create a moving story. I highly recommend this book !!!!!!! It would make a great gift for anyone. All my family members will be receiving this book as a gift. Thank you Joe for being such an inspiration !!!!!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredibly Touching Story…, April 6, 2009 by Carolcantalope via Barnes and Noble
Dusk and Summer….a 55 page Novella is a beautifully written story. On each page the intense love between a Father and his Son and the intense pain the son feels with the news of his Father’s illness becomes apparent.
You become easily absorbed into the story….tearing up already on page three of the forward….it is touching to say the least!
An amazing story written by an amazing author!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Dusk and Summer, March 12, 2009 by Gina Hernandez via Amazon
A must read. I could not put it down until I finished the entire story. For anyone who has had a special bond with a parent and suffered a tragic loss. You will find yourself smiling and crying. Well written! Well done!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt, February 24, 2009 by Josephrick via Amazon
I have begun to read more books as I have gotten older and this one gripped me. Anyone who is close to their father will really appreciate the telling story that Pinto has told in his latest book. It was enjoyable to read and made me understand how important my father is to me. Mr. Pinto’s connection to his father is obvious. Pinto was told to follow a trail of adventure not knowing where it was going to take him….it kept me interested to the very end!! Kudos to Mr. Pinto! I look forward to his next book
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5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, February 20, 2009 by Paula R. Owens (Everett, WA) via Amazon
Joseph A. Pinto weaves a beautiful tapestry with his words. His book, “Dusk and Summer” reaches out and touches your very soul. This poignant story of a man dealing with the loss of his father is a must-read for anyone who’s ever grieved or mourned another, and a beautiful addition to any private library.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A BEAUTIFUL HEART-WRENCHING TALE, February 10, 2009 by Leena Fran, (NJ, USA) via Amazon
a beautiful heart wrenching tale, that is well written and a joy to read.I couldnt put it down until I finished…a story of a man and his special connection with his father. It’s about unconditional love, honor, and the desire to live up to the dreams of his father.. you’ll smile, cry, and sigh…very touching. BEST OF LUCK, KEEP ON WRITING!
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5.0 out of 5 stars, great read, February 9, 2009 by Linda M. Jasmine (Lodi, NJ; Bayville, NJ) via Amazon
Great book, uses words beautifully. Easy, fast read,wish for more. Great summer beach read or anytime.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A gift, February 5, 2009 by Jason M. Donohue “www.lustgarten.org.supporter” (Bohemia, NY)
I can only call this a beautiful gift to those who are suffering grief from a long. Written beautifully, genuine, and heartfelt, this story is sure to touch the reader regardless of their losses or their circumstances. A must read!!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt Emotion, January 28, 2009 by Stephanie Lundgren (New Jersey) via Amazon
I think this may be the author’s best book yet. It is a loving and graceful tribute to his late father, skillfully interwoven with a haunting fantasy. A heartwarming and memorable book. I bought 2 additional copies for friends.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt Emotion, January 28, 2009 by Sandra Colombini (New Jersey) via Amazon
What an emotionally stimulating work by Mr. Pinto. I started out just reading a page or two but I couldn’t put it down. This is truly a beautiful story that was meant to be shared and no one can do it better than Mr. Pinto. I am looking forward to his next book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Myths & Reality, January 13, 2009 by Ann W. (Long Island, NY) via Amazon
Sent on a mission to explore and understand his father’s deep secret, this talented author brings us on a fast paced journey from childhood to his dying father’s bedside. On the edge of my seat, I couldn’t wait to get to the next page to unravel the mysteries. I highly recommend this book – the reward is the sense of peace you will have when you finish reading the 55 page novella.
Joseph A. Pinto 