Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he’d fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s Baptist minister. A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it. Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter’s life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood…
Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he’d fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s Baptist minister. A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it. Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter’s life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood…
“There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“It wasn’t that long, and it certainly wasn’t the kind of kiss you see in movies these days, but it was wonderful in its own way, and all I can remember about the moment is that when our lips touched, I knew the memory would last forever.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“Love is like the wind. You cannot see it but you can always feel it.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“I held her close to me with my eyes closed, wondering if anything in my life had ever been this perfect and knowing at the same time that it hadn’t. I was in love, and the feeling was even more wonderful than I ever imagined it could be.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“Jamie saved my life. She taught me everything. About life, hope and the long journey ahead. I’ll always miss her. But our love is like the wind. I can’t see it, but I can feel it.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“It was, I remembered thinking, the most difficult walk anyone ever had to make. In every way, a walk to remember.” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“Our love is like the wind ...” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
“I might kiss you ...” - Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember
Inspiration
I’m often asked which novel is my favorite, but that’s a question I can’t really answer. It’s like trying to choose between my children, and all I can say is that I like them all for different reasons.
I can say however, that A Walk to Remember was my favorite novel to write. I enjoyed the process of capturing the voice of a smart-alecky 17-year-old kid. Likewise with Jamie Sullivan. There was something intrinsically sweet about her character that gradually seemed to take over the book. It was also the only novel that made me cry while writing.
A Walk to Remember was inspired by my sister.
In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister. Like Jamie, my sister was sweet. Like Jamie, my sister had tremendously strong faith. Like Jamie, my sister loved church. Like Jamie, my sister wasn’t popular at school. Like Jamie, my sister was always cheerful. Like Jamie, all my sister wanted in life was to get married.
And like Jamie, my sister got cancer.
Like Jamie, my sister met someone. And like Landon, there was a long period of time when this fellow couldn’t imagine himself marrying a girl like her. And yet, in the end, he couldn’t help himself. Even when he knew she was sick, even when he knew that she might not make it, this man asked my sister to marry him.
It was just about the sweetest thing that’s ever been done for anyone, and I suppose I wrote this novel not only so that you could get to know my sister, but so that you would know what a wonderful thing it was that her husband once did for her.
Sadly, my sister died in June 2000. She was thirty-three years old.
Beaufort, NC
Located in North Carolina’s Inner Banks, Beaufort (pronounced “BO-furt,” to distinguish it from a South Carolina town of the same name) is a seaport town rich in maritime history. Established in 1709 as a trade and customs port, Beaufort is the third oldest town in the state and is steeped in colonial charm. Beaufort was also frequented by the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, and his shipwreck, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, is a major attraction on exhibit in the town. Nowadays, Beaufort is known as a summer retreat, where visitors and resident alike can enjoy the shopping and dining on the waterfront district, or take ferries to nearby Cape Lookout, Shackleford Banks, or Carrot Island, where wild horses roam free. Quiet and quaint, historic Beaufort provides the ideal setting for A Walk to Remember, and The Choice.
Set in a small town during the 1950s, A Walk to Remember is the story of an only son of a wealthy family that finds true love with the most unexpected person. The daughter of a minister (Mandy Moore) meets the only son (Shane West) and the story takes us through hard times, love and bitter sweet passion. This great love story shows us that it all comes down to who is by your side and who is willing to stand up for love even when it seems impossible.
- Director: Adam Shankman
- Screenplay: Karen Janszen
- Cast: Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah
- Run Time: 101 minutes
Set in a small town during the 1950s, A Walk to Remember is the story of an only son of a wealthy family that finds true love with the most unexpected person. The daughter of a minister (Mandy Moore) meets the only son (Shane West) and the story takes us through hard times, love and bitter sweet passion. This great love story shows us that it all comes down to who is by your side and who is willing to stand up for love even when it seems impossible.
Film Stills
