Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Year: 2018
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 321
In the romantic tradition of The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with a story about a chance encounter that becomes a touchstone for two vastly different individuals -- transcending decades, continents, and the bittersweet workings of fate.
Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she's been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family's cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future.
Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother's early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways.
Illuminating life's heartbreaking regrets and enduring hope, Every Breath explores the many facets of love that lay claim to our deepest loyalties -- and asks the question, How long can a dream survive?
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Every Breath follows two different people from two different part of the
world. Hope Anderson, a trauma nurse from Raleigh, North Carolina and Tru
Walls, a safari guide from Zimbabwe. They encounter each other on a fateful
afternoon in Sunset Beach. After spending time together for several days,
they feel connected to each other in a way that they didn’t expect. However,
not everything could go the way they want. Through their story, we’ll learn
about keeping up hope and perseverance.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part sets during the time
Hope and Tru first met in Sunset Beach. The second one sets twenty-five
years later after the event in the first part. The flash forward is commonly
used as a storytelling device. What’s different is, especially for Sparks’s
books, the prologue and epilogue. He frames this book as a retelling of a
true event by inserting himself in the prologue and epilogue. In prologue,
he wrote how he found this mailbox called Kindred Spirits with letters that
are available to read by public. One of the letters lead Sparks to Tru and
that’s how he was inspired to write this book. I must say, I’ve read almost
all of Sparks’s published books and this is the first time he uses this
writing device in his books. Considering that his books tend to be
formulaic, this offers a new and refreshing reading experience for his
readers.
The story itself is nothing new, really. It’s about two people who feel
right to each other but met at the wrong time. I’m sure you’ve read a story
like this (or a variation of it) before. However, Sparks’s books have been
my comfort read for a long time. I know what to expect with his books so I
pick them whenever I’m in the mood for his books. What I’m trying to say is,
it doesn’t really bother me that the story is ordinary, I’ll still look for
his books if I want to read romance. But if you’re looking for a different
love story I wouldn’t recommend this one; maybe his other books.
I must say though, as a long time reader of Nicholas Sparks, Every Breath is
not his strongest. I know some people have problem with the insta-love.
Somehow, I can tolerate that. For me, it’s different when the characters are
teenagers. I’d be skeptical and scream ‘that’s insta-love’ right away. Yet,
I kind of understand what Hope and Tru are going through. With Hope, she’s
been in and out of relationship for years with the same man whom she’s
hoping to end up with or married to. In my personal opinion, at that point,
Hope might feel exhausted and desperate that as soon as she gets a glimmer
of connection with another person, she’ll hold on to it. It’s like when
you’re not treated good for a long time, then someone comes along and makes
you feel good and appreciate you; of course you don’t want that to go away.
It’s not true love and I think they don’t say that what they have is true
love, but it is a connection which can lead to love. I think the same goes
with Tru. Although I must admit this time Sparks’s writing doesn’t really
frame it in a way that I expected it to. What I mean is, with his track
records, he could’ve done better.
Hope and Tru’s story, the second part especially, reminds me of an episode
in Modern Love season 1. The title is When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist
which is one of my favorite episodes of Modern Love. I don’t want to spoil
the story of this book and the episode but I think a part of what
contributes to Hope and Tru’s perseverance in love is the what-if. I love
that kind of love story. Maybe I’m just a romantic or maybe subconsciously I
have the what-if scenario in my mind based on my past relationship, the one
who got away. That’s why even though Hope and Tru’s story might not sound
appealing to others, I still enjoy reading it.
In conclusion, while I had a pleasant experience reading this book, I
wouldn’t recommend this book. If you’re truly looking for a romance story or
a melodrama, I’d rather pick up other Sparks’s books such as The Notebook
(Ha! Sure you never heard of this one), A Walk to Remember (or this one),
Dear John, The Rescue, or A Bend in the Road.
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