Book Review: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook was a wonderful love story that shows that sometimes love can really last a lifetime. It tells the story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson; they met in 1935 and were separated by Allie's parents. They both go through many changes but in the end their love brings them back together.

The Notebook starts off in a rest home. An elderly man spends everyday with a woman who often doesn't remember him. Each morning he starts to read her the same notebook which contains a story of an ever lasting love, the story of Noah and Allie. He reads the story to her in hopes of bringing back her memory that has been lost due to Alzheimer's. The story starts off in 1935. Fifteen year old, Allie Nelson is visiting a small town in North Carolina. She has a passion for painting and her family has money. She meets Noah Calhoun at a carnival and he eventually gets her to agree to let him take her on a date. They fall in love and spend all of their time together. He eventually takes her to an old house that was built in 1772. He tells her how he has always dreamed of buying it someday and eventually fixing it up. They wind up having sex. After he brings her home her parents tell her that she is not to see him anymore. They tell her that he is not good enough for her and that he can never provide her with a decent future. She argues with them but Noah ends it. The next day her parents send her away for college. She manages to go to the lumber yard to find Noah to say goodbye but he was out on a run so she told his friend to tell him for her.

Noah starts to write to Allie everyday for an entire year but none of his letters were answered. He decided to write one last letter and then to move on with his life. Soon after he enlists and goes to fight in the war. His best friend dies but he safely makes it home. He finally fulfilled his dream and bought the house and he restores it. Allie is 29 and engaged to a lawyer. They met when she was a nurse during the war. She sees an article featuring Noah about how he refurbished the house and she decided she had to see him again. She lied to her fiancé and said she was going to North Carolina to look for antiques and showed up at his doorstep. They spend some time together and they wind falling back in love. Her mother shows up at the house and has a discussion with her. Allie is left with a huge decision, stay with her fiancé or leave him for Noah. She makes up her mind after reading all of the letters her mother had kept from her years ago. She shows up at Noah's house and chooses him.

The end of the story goes back to the man sharing his story. Suddenly she asks if the story was about them. Everything starts to come back to her and they have a wonderful evening together. They go to sleep and the next morning she wakes up and doesn't remember who Noah is.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes love stories. Nicholas Sparks is a wonderful author. He has many great books and I recommend them all.