by Monnie

Created on: April 21, 2009

"Stories are as unique as the people who tell them, and the best stories are those in which the ending is surprise."

So begins another novel from award winning American novelist Nicholas Sparks. The Choice, published by Grand Central Publishing in 2007, is another love story from the author responsible for The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, A Walk To Remember and The Guardian. Sparks has made a name for himself by writing love stories. Often these take place in the state of North Carolina and many times they involve a small town such as New Bern in The Notebook. He usually explores a relationship from its romantic beginnings and follows the story of two characters as they encounter joy, confusion and many times face a life altering moment changing their relationship forever. The Choice follows this formula but still manages to be a completely different story about distinctive characters from his previous novels.

The prologue introduces us to a present day Travis as he is going to visit his wife at the hospital. We get a glimpse into his head as he ponders over how his current life is in shambles. We learn his wife and he have been separated for several months and he is scared that his marriage is forever changed. He's carrying a bouquet of flowers that seem to accompany regrets, fears and desperation for everything to be right again. As the prologue comes to a conclusion we are hooked into the story. What exactly happened to Travis and his wife?

The Choice unfolds the story of thirty something bachelor Travis Parker and his new neighbor Gabby Holland. The reader joins Travis in May of 1996 as he is installing a hot tub in his backyard with his best friend Matt. Soon we are introduced to the close friends and family comprising Travis's small town life when everyone gathers at his house for a barbecue. The reader also learns Travis has never been able to settle down. He's traveled the world, loves extreme sports yet still manages to be a simple, small town guy. Gabby, on the other hand, has just moved to Beaufort, North Carolina to be closer to her boyfriend. He lives thirty minutes away in the slightly larger Morehead City. She's working with kids at the local pediatric clinic, is dealing with a little sexual harassment from one of the doctors in the clinic and constantly trying to dampen the disappointment with how her life isn't really like she pictured it. The reader becomes acquainted with Gabby as she works up the courage to give her laidback neighbor a piece

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>