Saudade Summer

by Donald D Senese

Young Donny experienced a summer like no hanging with his buddies, spending time with family, and falling in love for the first time with a wonderful girl. Little did he know how that summer love would play out so many years later.

Reminiscing, if it is perfect, provides feelings of well-being and contentment.

If things turn out badly, you learn from your mistakes and move on.

Saudade (pronounced SAU-da-gee) is a Portuguese word meaning "a type of nostalgia"—an intense and indescribable feeling of yearning for someone or something, and the desire to relive moments that have passed, or may never have happened. The word cannot be translated to English because it has no words to do justice to the deep feelings Saudade conveys. Three years ago, I found myself in this state of mind without an explanation. To uncover the answer I relived my past, drawing on memories from my later years in elementary school, my early years in high school, and beyond. It has been quite a journey.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2021

Reviews

[Jodi McGuffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saudade Summer speaks to the inner core within each of us. It invokes memories of idyllic summertime fun as children and teens. It helps us all recall the time spent with friends, and the carefree fun we experienced growing up. Donny's adventures will be sure to bring a smile to your face as you read along with a touch of nostalgia as you remember past crushes and high school infatuations. Readers will easily relate to his experiences and emotions as they travel with him on his journey of recollection.
But on a deeper level, Donald's book speaks to those who have struggled with anxiety and fitting in. It reveals that we are not alone in feeling this way but is something many of us share. Donald offers encouragement to others as he shares his experiences of working through his memories, thoughts, and feelings. He proves that by confronting our insecurities we can find peace and contentment within ourselves.

[Joshua Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished Saudade Summer, I just sat there for a while, holding the book and letting the memories wash over me. Donald D. Senese writes with such tenderness that you can feel his heart beating in every line. He doesn’t just tell you about his youth — he brings you into it, lets you smell the summer air and feel the pulse of a world that was gentler, slower, and so full of life. Our book club agreed this story reminded us all of our own beginnings our first friendships, our first crushes, our first heartbreaks. It’s rare to find a book that makes you smile and ache at the same time. Donald has done that beautifully.

[Emily Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like a mirror held up to my own youth. Donald D. Senese writes with such tenderness and humanity that it’s impossible not to feel moved. His recollections of childhood, family, and growing up in simpler times brought tears to my eyes. The warmth and humor in his writing make you feel as though you’re right there beside him, living each summer day as it unfolds. As a reader who cherishes heartfelt, honest stories, I can say without hesitation that Saudade Summer is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in years.

[Lonnie Wiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Saudade Summer reminded me of sitting around the dinner table, listening to my father tell stories from his youth — stories filled with laughter, love, and the bittersweet ache of time passing. Donald D. Senese writes in that same authentic, heartfelt way. His memories are vivid yet gentle, deeply personal yet universally relatable. There’s a quiet wisdom in his storytelling, the kind that only comes from someone who truly understands the value of looking back. This is not just a book; it’s a keepsake of the human spirit.

[Martina King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book more than I can say. Donald D. Senese has written something timeless — a heartfelt remembrance of innocence, friendship, and love that feels both deeply personal and universally true. Saudade Summer reminded me that growing up isn’t about leaving the past behind but about carrying it gracefully within us. His words touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect. It’s been a long time since a book made me cry, smile, and reflect all at once. Thank you, Mr. Senese, for this gift of memory and warmth.

[Jason Reynolds Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald, I don’t know how to explain what your book did to me except to say: it made me feel alive again. As I read Saudade Summer, memories I had tucked away decades ago came rushing back memories of my father, my childhood best friend, the boy who held my hand under the bleachers when we were thirteen. Your writing awakened a part of me I thought was gone forever. It wasn’t just nostalgia… it was recognition. You helped me reconnect with the person I used to be. And for that, I am deeply grateful.

[Anika Rahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald, your book found me at a moment when I didn’t even know I needed comfort. Reading Saudade Summer felt like stepping into a warm memory not mine, yet somehow familiar. You reminded me of the parts of myself I rarely acknowledge anymore: the child who believed in magic, the teenager who felt everything too deeply, the young adult who thought life would last forever. Your words made me pause and breathe, and for the first time in a long while, I felt connected to my own heart. Thank you for that.

[Michel B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saudade Summer reached me in a place no other book has. Donald, the way you captured the fragile magic of being young wanting so much, feeling everything, stumbling your way into understanding made me revisit memories I thought I’d outgrown. I remembered my own first love, how unbelievably important it felt, how it shaped me even long after it was over. Your honesty helped me honor that part of my life again instead of brushing it aside. Thank you for reminding me that nothing we felt deeply is ever wasted.

[Gabriel Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Saudade Summer was like stepping into a photo album that suddenly came alive. Donald’s words aren’t just descriptive; they’re emotional truths moments captured in golden light. In our book group, several of us said we felt as though we were reading our own childhoods. There’s something so familiar about his memories: the games, the laughter, the innocence that time can never fully erase. I think that’s what makes this book so special, it belongs to him, but it speaks to all of us.

[Carmen Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touched a place in me that I didn’t know still felt tender. Saudade Summer made me think of my childhood best friend, the one I spent every summer with, who passed away five years ago. Donald, your writing brought him back to life for me, if only for a moment. I could see us running down dusty streets, drinking cold sodas, talking about dreams we didn’t understand yet. You have a gift: the ability to remind people that love never disappears. Thank you for that.

[Isabella Romano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to say this as plainly as I can: Donald, you wrote this book with your soul. I felt every page. The honesty, the kindness, the vulnerability all of it shines. So many memoirs try to impress. Yours tries to connect, and you succeeded. I saw the boy you used to be, but I also saw the man you’ve become: reflective, grateful, gentle. This book didn’t just tell a story; it made me feel safe remembering my own.

[Mei Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were moments in Saudade Summer when I had to close the book and just breathe. Not because it was painful, but because it was true. Donald, you captured the exact texture of being young, the awkwardness, the sweetness, the way everything feels important and fragile. Your memories reminded me of the girl I once was, the one I sometimes forget still lives inside me. I felt seen in your words, and that is a gift I don’t take lightly.

[Amina Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book slowly, not because it was difficult, but because I didn’t want it to end. Donald, there is something deeply comforting about the way you write. You don’t rush through your memories, you sit with them, honor them, breathe life into them. And in doing so, you helped me honor mine. I found myself remembering my parents, my first school crush, the days when life felt full of possibility. Your story became a part of my own.

[Kwame Mensah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Saudade Summer on a quiet evening, and by the time I finished, the moon was high, and I felt strangely at peace. Donald, you write with a simplicity that is full of emotion like someone speaking straight from the heart without trying to be perfect. Your childhood felt familiar, even though it wasn’t mine. The friendships, the first love, the small joys of a world without hurry… it made me long for my own past in the most comforting way.

[Dmitri Volkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books change your mood. This one changed my heart. Donald, you reminded me that it’s okay to look back, to miss who we were, to grieve for the moments we didn’t know were precious. I found myself thinking of my mother, of summers spent helping her in the yard, of the innocent happiness of those days. Your book brought those memories back so vividly that I cried. But they were healing tears. Thank you for writing something so honest and so human.

[Alejandro Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to say this directly: Donald, your book made me feel less alone. The way you wrote about your youth, the hopes, the mistakes, the quiet moments felt like you were speaking to every reader individually. I recognized myself in your words. I recognized the child I once was, the teenager I struggled with, and the adult I’ve become. Saudade Summer reminded me that life is made up of small, shining moments that never truly fade. You captured that truth beautifully.

[Mia Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were passages in your book that I had to read twice, not because I didn’t understand them, but because I felt them too strongly. Donald, you have a way of writing that makes ordinary moments shine with a quiet kind of magic. I kept thinking, This is what it feels like to have a real memory. This is what it feels like to be young. Your honesty broke me open in the softest way. Thank you for sharing your heart so generously.

[Claire Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gentle, healing experience this book was for me. I’ve been dealing with so much heaviness in my own life, responsibilities, losses, changes and reading Saudade Summer felt like taking a long breath after holding it for too long. Donald, your memories reminded me that there were once days filled with simplicity and wonder. Days when my whole world was my street, my bicycle, my friends. You didn’t just write a memoir, you gave readers a place to rest.

[Aaron Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could describe your book in one word, Donald, it would be “human.” Not polished, not perfect real. You captured the awkwardness of young love, the confusion of growing up, the sweetness of friendships that felt like family. I felt like I was reading about my own life, even though the details were different. There’s a tenderness in how you write that made me feel safe remembering things I’ve buried for years. You touched something deep in me.

[Eleanor Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to say this directly to you, Donald: your book made me remember my mother’s voice. I don’t know why, but something in your descriptions of childhood, the closeness, the innocence brought back evenings when she sat with me on the porch swing, telling stories about her own youth. I cried reading some chapters because I felt like she was sitting beside me again. Thank you for giving me that gift. It means more than you could ever know.

[Liam McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saudade Summer didn’t just tell me a story; it allowed me to revisit the softest parts of my soul. Donald, you wrote with such vulnerability that I couldn’t help but open up too. I remembered the girl I once was hopeful, dreamy, full of unshaped possibilities. Your words helped me realize that she’s still inside me, even after all these years. I finished the book feeling lighter, clearer, and strangely comforted.

[Khaled Saleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel emotions I didn’t expect the kind that sit quietly in your chest long after you close the final page. Donald, the way you write about your younger self is so gentle, so forgiving. You showed me what it means to look back without judgment, without regret. I’ve been hard on my own past for so long, but your story helped me soften. I feel like I learned something about compassion not just for others, but for myself.

[Gabrielle Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald, I need you to know how much your book meant to me. I read it during a lonely stretch of life, when I felt disconnected from the world around me. But Saudade Summer reminded me that we all carry memories,bright, painful, beautiful that shape who we are. Your story made me feel less alone. I felt like I was sitting with an old friend, talking late into the evening, sharing moments we didn’t realize were so important at the time. Thank you for that warmth.

[Nur Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few books have ever made me stop and truly reflect on my life the way yours did. Donald, you wrote with such raw honesty that I found myself thinking about my own childhood, the people I loved, the places I’ve left behind, the small joys that I didn’t appreciate until now. Your book reminded me that the past isn’t something to escape, but something to honor. You helped me see the value of my own memories. That is a rare and precious gift.

[Noemi Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Saudade Summer felt like someone gently placing a mirror in front of me. Donald, through your stories, I saw my own younger self, hopeful, shy, full of emotions I didn’t yet understand. I saw the friendships that shaped me, the early heartbreaks that taught me how to feel. Your ability to write with such tenderness, such humanity, made me cry more than once. This book didn’t just move me… it stayed with me.

[Beatriz Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something extraordinary about the way you write, Donald. It’s not just what you say, it’s how gently you say it. Saudade Summer didn’t just tell me about your life; it illuminated pieces of mine. I remembered the smell of rain on hot pavement, the butterflies of a first crush, the warmth of friendships that shaped me. Your memories made me want to call the people I’ve drifted from, to tell them they mattered. Your book didn’t just move me, it changed something in me.

[Elias Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried reading this book. Not because it was sad, but because it was true. Donald, the tenderness you show toward your younger self made me rethink the way I view my own past. I’ve spent years criticizing myself for the mistakes I made growing up, but your story taught me that youth is supposed to be messy, hopeful, confusing, beautiful. I closed the book with a softer heart not just for you, but for myself. That’s a rare kind of healing.

[Sophia Patel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Scenes involving questionable behavior are recounted without meaningful moral reckoning. This neutrality feels less like objectivity and more like avoidance. Readers may find this unsettling, even irresponsible.

[Amelia Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

The emotional register rarely changes. Whether moments are joyful, painful, or supposedly transformative, they are delivered in the same muted tone. This monotony flattens the reading experience and dulls emotional response.

[Oliver Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book demonstrates a persistent inability to elevate personal experience into universal insight. Events remain stubbornly specific without ever becoming meaningful beyond the author’s own life. Readers may struggle to find relevance.