Nicholas Sparks hit a snag while writing his most recent novel. He
diverted his attention to the mail and saw a brochure from the
alumni office of his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. The
offering is a three-week trip around the world titled "Heaven and
Earth." The idea kindles a fire within him, and the spark ignites
his passion. His wife, Cathy, responsible for the daily needs of
five children, declines to go with him. But she encourages him to
take the trip as a break from his hectic work schedule. Micah,
Sparks's brother, packs his bag and the two set off for "Lands of
the Sky Worshippers."

Sparks writes with special fervor about their experiences during
the globe-circling event. Micah's fun-loving personality contrasts
with the introspectiveness of his brother. Together, they absorb
the vast panorama of knowledge open to them. But each reacts to
places they visit in a different manner. While Micah sees the humor
in a centuries-old statuary, Nicholas cites the historic value to
civilization that each place has given. From ruins of the Incan and
Mayan tribes to the mysteries of Easter Island, the brothers visit
cultural wonders and relate to them with reflections upon their
childhood.

Not only is THREE WEEKS WITH MY BROTHER a journal of their travels
to exotic places, it also contains personal memories jarred into
their present by the sights they witness. The Sparks brothers grew
up in a family that, today, would be hard put to term functional.
Poverty was the veil that clouded them from birth into adolescence.
Both parents struggled to earn a subsistence living for their two
sons and daughter Dana.

The brothers recall a family vacation to the Grand Canyon while
they bask on the beach in Roratonga, in the South Pacific. The
story of a family crammed into a Volkswagen for the trip,
traversing steamy desert by day and freezing in the rolling motel
at night, conjures frightful pictures. Their father, a scholarly
man, can show a volatile side when his children misbehave. A park
ranger demands their exit when the three perch on rocks outside
safe limits and terrify other tourists. Dad's rage erupts to a
DEFCON 5.

THREE WEEKS WITH MY BROTHER is laced with photos that provide the
background for a fabulous travelogue. More important are those that
trace the family's history. These pictures give color to a
childhood filled with struggles. Micah's attitude is one of
carefree acceptance, while Nicholas reveres him but is unable to
live with the same nonchalance as his brother. When tragedy strikes
them, not once but three times, they cope in quite different ways.
However, they come together as a unit and move forward as a
family.

Nicholas has retained religious upbringing and remains strengthened
by his faith. Micah has rejected religious discipline and seldom
attends a church. They discuss the source of past pain and their
respective abilities to accept or reject the outcomes. Both
discover truths they hold dear from the years shared together that
marked them as brothers. The book is a story of two journeys, one
that travels to exotic places and another that leads to the bonding
of best friends.

Sparks's previous books, THE WEDDING, THE NOTEBOOK and MESSAGE IN A
BOTTLE, are works that evoke pathos and sympathy. THREE WEEKS WITH
MY BROTHER is a humorous, yet tragic, memoir that is a discovery of
hope, love and faith. Its shared authorship is testament to the
lasting bond between Nicholas and his brother, Micah Sparks.