A Walk to Remember

October 4, 1999
Sure to wring yet more tears from willing readers' eyes, the latest novel by the bestselling Sparks is a forced coming-of-age story concerning a pair of unlikely young lovers. In a corny flashback device that mimics The Notebook, 57-year-old Landon Carter spirits himself back to his fateful senior year in high school in Beaufort, N.C., when he was an archetypal troublemaking teenager of the 1950s, changed forever by an unexpected first love. Jamie Sullivan, the Bible-toting minister's daughter, with her drab brown sweaters, spinster hairstyle and sincere, beatific advice, is the obvious target of high school ridicule. Despite conspiring in Jamie's derision, class president Landon, desperate for a date for the homecoming dance, finds himself asking Jamie. Afterwards, Jamie asks him to participate with her in the metaphor-laden school Christmas play (Jamie plays the angel). Landon endures the taunting of his friends and forms an uneasy friendship with Jamie, which is carefully supervised by her father. The teens visit needy orphans, give Oscar-worthy performances in the school play and share dreams watching the sunset. Landon realizes he's in love with Jamie, but, of course, she is hiding a devastating secret that could wring her from Landon's arms forever. Now tortured by his knowledge of what will be her terrible fate, he must make the ultimate decision that catapults him into adulthood. Readers may be frustrated with the invariable formula that Sparks seems to regurgitate with regularity. Although the narrator declares, "My story can't be summed up in two or three sentences; it can't be packaged into something neat and simple that people would immediately understand," this is the author's most simple, formulaic, and blatantly melodramatic package to date. Agent, Theresa Park, Sanford Greenburger Associates. Doubleday Book Club and Literary Guild main selections; 20-city author tour; movie rights optioned by Denise DiNovi at Warner Bros..

June 1, 1999
In Sparks's latest sentimental tale, a 17-year-old boy in 1950s North Carolina finds all his expectations overthrown by the Baptist minister's daughter. Film rights were purchased by the producer of Message in a Bottle.

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 1999
In this nostalgic look back at the late 1950s, Sparks, author of "Message in a Bottle", proves once again that he is a master at pulling heartstrings and bringing a tear to his readers' eyes. Beaufort, South Carolina, is a typical small town, and Landon Carter is just a regular guy poised to enjoy his senior year of high school until his father, the congressman, insists that because of his poor grades he needs to do something extra to get into college. Reluctantly, Landon runs for class president and wins. With his election comes responsibility, which includes attending the school dance. This puts Landon in a panic because he doesn't have a girlfriend. He decides to ask Jamie Sullivan, the minister's daughter, because she is the most acceptable of the geeks and probably hasn't been asked yet. They have a good time but Landon doesn't think much about her until they both star in the Christmas play, which her father wrote about his search for love after her mother died. Everyone is excited about Jamie starring as the angel, and Landon takes to walking her home after rehearsals. He finds himself falling in love, but Jamie has a secret that will break his--and Sparks' readers'--hearts. Told in Landon's down-home voice, this bittersweet tale will enthrall Sparks' numerous fans and should be a big hit during the holiday season. ((Reviewed August 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)