Nights in Rodanthe

by Nicholas Sparks

Reviewed by Elaine Williams

 

[e-book]

 

      Nicholas Sparks' latest tearjerker will not fail to satisfy his many fans.  The title of this short novel refers to one long weekend during which two strangers, Adrienne and Paul, meet at a crucial time in both of their lives.  Adrienne is a divorcee with three teenagers whose husband left her for another woman.  He also left her unable to relax her guard with anyone, least of all herself.  Paul has just left behind all the trappings of a successful life, including a lucrative surgeon's practice, a dream house, prestigious awards, and widely published articles.   He wants to make amends with his estranged son, Mark, but first he has to take care of another emotional issue from his past.  Fate draws this man and woman together in the small fishing village of Rodanthe, North Carolina.

      From here, the story is familiar to Nicholas Sparks fans: It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.  Moreover, Sparks seems to believe that while love does make one weak in the knees, just a small taste of it can tide you over for the rest of your life. It is difficult to review Nights in Rodanthe because once you've read one Sparks novel, you've read them all.  But those who like this kind of romance won't mind the similarities with his previous books.  One thing does stand out about his writing, and this is probably what keeps me and millions of other women coming back for more.  His secret is this: for a man, he really can get inside a woman's head and authentically write about a woman's feelings.  I imagine that he is a great romantic in real life. According to his website (nicholassparks.com), the first thing Sparks did after publishing The Notebook was to buy his wife a new wedding ring. Unfortunately, the characters in Nights in Rodanthe don't wear rings.

      As in Message in a Bottle, another Sparks blockbuster, letters between the lovers play a significant role in Nights in Rodanthe.  Through well-worn letters, true feelings are revealed, and hopes for the future that could not be realized seem to live again.  Who can resist an old love letter stored in a hidden box?  As for me, I couldn't put it down.