Dear John

Nicholas Sparks
Warner Books (2006)
ISBN 0446528056
Reviewed by Robin Gix for Reader Views (11/06)

I have had the privilege of reading Nicholas Sparks’ new book, “Dear John.” And that’s exactly what it was; a privilege. “Dear John” is by far one of the best books I have ever read. The characters are so well developed in this story that one feels as though they know them personally. “Dear John” is a bittersweet look at love and how it stands up to the test of time. I honestly could not put this book down, and I recommend it to everyone.

After a rebellious childhood, John Tyree enlists in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life. On leave, in his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, John meets the girl of his dreams; Savannah Lynn Curtis.

Savannah is attending college in North Carolina and working for Habitat for Humanity when she and John meet for the first time at the beach. Standing on the pier, Savannah accidentally drops her bag into the ocean, and John jumps in to retrieve it. Immediately there is an attraction between the two of them, and what seems to be a familiarity with each other.

From that day on, Savannah and John spend nearly every day together during John’s leave, and quickly fall in love. Savannah promises to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty, when both intend to marry.

In “Dear John,” neither Savannah, nor John, was prepared for 9/11 and what it would mean to their relationship.  After 9/11, John struggles with the decision of whether to re-enlist, or go home to Savannah. Ultimately, John decides to re-enlist in the Army, to help his fellow soldiers. “It would be easy to say that I was influenced by what was going on around me and that was the reason I made the decision I did. But that’s just an excuse. Granted, I was caught up in the same patriotic wave, but more than that, I was bound by the twin ties of friendship and responsibility. I knew my men, I cared about my men, and the thought of abandoning them at a time like this struck me as impossibly cowardly. We’d been through too much for me to even contemplate leaving the service in those waning days of 2001.” Upon hearing John’s decision, Savannah is at first supportive and promises to continue to wait for John, but can she really wait that long?

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