#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twist you won’t see coming. A love story you’ll never forget. From the acclaimed author of The Notebook comes a powerful novel about risking everything for a dream—and whether it’s possible to leave the past behind.
We don’t always get to choose our paths in life; sometimes they choose us.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: PopSugar
After fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, Tommie, Beverly is attempting to create a new life for them in a small town off the beaten track. Despite their newfound freedom, Beverly is constantly on guard: she creates a fake backstory, wears a disguise around town, and buries herself in DIY projects to stave off anxiety. But her stress only rises when Tommie insists he’d been hearing someone walking on the roof and calling his name late at night. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true. . . .
Meanwhile, Colby Mills is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. A failed musician, he now heads a small family farm in North Carolina. Seeking a rare break from his duties at home, he spontaneously takes a gig playing in a bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he meets Morgan Lee—and his whole life is turned upside-down.
The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known.
In the course of a single unforgettable week, two young people will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love. Hundreds of miles away, Beverly will put her love for her young son to the test. And fate will draw all three people together in a web of life-altering connections . . . forcing each to wonder whether the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past.
About the Author
Nicholas Sparks is the author of twenty-three books, all of which have been New York Times bestsellers. His books have been published across more than fifty languages with over 150 million copies sold worldwide, and eleven have been adapted into films. He is also the founder of the Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a nonprofit committed to improving cultural and international understanding through global education experiences. He lives in North Carolina.
Praise For…
“Sparks has the magic touch.”—USA Today
“The love that [Sparks] writes and conveys to the reader, and the intricacy of his stories is captivating. . . . These characters feel like people you know in real life—people chasing dreams while maintaining their responsibilities and the tangible parts of life that chain us to reality. . . . The perfect summer read.”—BookTrib
“From this singular work it’s clear that [Sparks] . . . continues to hone his craft.”—The Cullman Times
“Another fantastic work of Nicholas Sparks, combining elements of finding true love with pursuing one’s dreams, along with hidden family secrets and mental health issues. The author brilliantly presents an idea of a dreamland being not only a wonderful vacation destination, but a person’s state of mind and worldview, as well.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance–Star
“Woven throughout is a suspenseful subplot . . . beautiful, heartbreaking . . . [Sparks's] empathetic characters and their down-to-earth personalities make it easy to get immersed in this world. Readers who love epic romantic sagas will want to snap this up.”—Publishers Weekly
“Sparks's latest appealing novel is filled with plenty of serious situations among the dreams and romance and rewards with a satisfyingly hopeful ending.”—Booklist
