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Nicholas Sparks begins his new book, A WALK TO REMEMBER, by promising that "first
you will smile, and then you will cry --- don't say that you haven't been
warned." An intense claim, one would say, which serves to set the tone for
the remainder of his latest love story. A WALK TO REMEMBER is a heart wrenching
account of a young, first love and the choices and steps a person will take to provide
another with happiness.
Devoted readers of Nicholas Sparks are already familiar with his earlier works, THE
NOTEBOOK and MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, as well as his extraordinary ability to accurately
illustrate his characters and the setting around them. He finds the perfect
words to describe the nature of the characters, so much so that the reader can identify
with the feelings in their hearts. This book is no exception, it lets the readers explore
their own feelings and memories of love.
Nicholas Sparks writes about a young man and woman in 1958 on the coast in Morehead City
in Beaufort, North Carolina. This is the story of their first
love. Morehead City is the type of town where the kids walk around barefoot
from April through October and the townspeople wave hello from their cars whether they
know the person or not. Landon Carter is a seventeen-year-old high school
senior whose father is a United States congressman. He and his father are
strangers --- his father is on the road quite a bit of the time and he spends the majority
of time being raised by his mother. His father insists that he needs to run for
student body president to increase his chances of getting into a good
college. His father believes that "We Carters always win" and he
wants to mold Landon into a miniature version of himself.
Landon wins the election and one of his responsibilities is attending the homecoming
dance. Due to the fact he has just broken up with his girlfriend, he doesn't
have a date and in a panic, he pulls out his yearbook and scans the pages for someone
available. He finally decides on Jamie Sullivan, a junior, who is the
minister's daughter, knowing that nobody else will ask her to the dance. Jamie
wears old sweaters, plaid skirts and her hair up in a bun. She carries the
Bible wherever she goes and believes that whatever happens in life is according to the
Lord's plan. She is obviously not your typical high school student and not
someone in whom Landon or his friends would be interested.
Both Landon and Jamie star in the school Christmas play that Jamie's father has
written. The play details the personal story of his life after his wife's death
and his search for love and the meaning of life within his daughter. Jamie
plays the angel and Landon, the lead male role. Over time, in rehearsals and
occasional talks together on her front porch, Landon starts to like Jamie. As a
result, he becomes a better person, helping her do good deeds and accompanying her to the
orphanage. The opening night of the play, he is amazed when he first sees her
walk on the stage dressed as an angel, with her hair loose and flowing down her
back. She glitters onstage and he falls for her true beauty.
With plot twists and turns and an untold secret that will change their lives forever,
Landon and Jamie fall in love. Pain and sorrow lie ahead but the
story lets you believe in the power of love and that dreams do come true. Their
story is unforgettable and as you wipe your tears away, you come to an unbelievable end
--- the sort of story that only Nicholas Sparks can tell.
--- Reviewed by Eda Kalkay
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