Best of Nicholas Sparks
Last weekend, I wrapped up Dreamland, my tenth of twenty four books written by Nicholas Sparks. Mostly famous for The Notebook, a book that was published in 1996 (at age 28) and that was later adopted into film, Sparks is one of the world's greatest storytellers. His tales resonate with man’s deepest hopes — finding everlasting love, and the undeniably gracious nature of love that makes us find it when we least expect it. If you’re looking for a brief mental escape this season, here are my top 3 Nicholas Sparks recommendations:
The Best of Me
Life separated High School Sweethearts Amanda and Dawson but brings them together, twenty four years later, when they each receive the news of the loss of a mutual friend. Neither has lived the life they’d imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers will discover undeniable truths about the choices they have made. They have a decision to make, do they follow the life that could have been or do they return to life as they know it, and at what cost?
Message in a bottle
“Last night, in my dreams, I saw you on the pier near Wrightsville Beach. The wind was blowing through your hair, and your eyes held the fading sunlight. I am struck as I see you leaning against the rail. You are beautiful, I think as I see you, a vision that I can never find in anyone else. I slowly begin to walk toward you, and when you finally turn to me, I notice that others have been watching you as well. “Do you know her?” they ask me in jealous whispers, and as you smile at me, I simply answer with the truth. “Better than my own heart.”
This is the story of a great loss, of immeasurable pain and heartbreak. Garrett’s world’s been shattered by the loss of his beloved wife. The only way he knows how to heal is by pouring his heart out on paper, in letters that he places neatly in bottles and tosses far into the sea. Coincidentally, Theresa Osborne, a Boston newspaper Columnist, discovers one of them while on vacation. Challenged by the mystery, and driven to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love.
The Wedding
I must admit that this is Sparks’ most relatable book. After thirty years of marriage, Wilson Lewis discovers something shocking, his wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him. He is an accomplished estate attorney who takes good care of his family and loves his wife more than anything in the world. Desperate to win her heart one more time, he makes himself better in the sweetest of ways, to put himself in a position to truly deserve her again. But it isn’t smooth sailing as Wilson is not a hopeless romantic. He is a man unable to easily express his emotions, a challenge that he must overcome in trying to bring romance back into his marriage and make her fall in love with him once again.
This is a Nicholas Sparks appreciation article. He inspires me to show up for my writing as my true self. If you get yourself a copy of either one of these books, I hope that you find it as inspiring and as magical and I know he intends his work to be.
