Nicholas Sparks Nights in Rodanthe

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks comes a tender story of hope and joy; of sacrifice and forgiveness—a moving reminder that love is possible at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it. At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to a friend’s inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne’s perfect getaway will be ruined—until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At fifty-four, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort—and in one weekend set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.

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“While I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.” - Nicholas Sparks, Nights in Rodanthe

“Despite all that had happened in the years that had passed since then, Adrienne still held tight to the belief that love was the essence of a full and wonderful life.” - Nicholas Sparks, Nights in Rodanthe

“When Jack left me, it wasn’t just our marriage ending. It was the loss of all the hopes that I’d had for the future. I tried to move on, but the world didn’t seem that interested in me anymore. Then you came along, and helped me believe in myself again.” - Nicholas Sparks, Nights in Rodanthe

Inspiration

Unlike most of my novels, Nights in Rodanthe was not inspired by specific people in my life, other than the names of the two lead characters. That year, when my mother-in-law was visiting, she came up to me and asked if I knew what she wanted for Christmas. “No,” I said, “I don’t,” and she quickly responded, “Paul and I would like our names in one of your books.”

Hence, the names of the major characters became Paul and Adrienne, and of course, because they were my in-laws, I wanted to write the type of story that they would not only enjoy, but that would not offend them as well.

Now, when I say that in some ways, this story parallels that of the relationship between my wife and I, I don’t mean to imply that everything that happened in the story happened in real life. Rather, as I had with my other novels, I took the true events and modified them to make the story as interesting as possible.

So how was the story of Paul and Adrienne similar to the story of my wife and I?

For starters, my wife and I met in the same way that Paul and Adrienne did, though, of course, for us, it happened on Spring break. (I know, I know… but hear me out.) We were both in our senior years—I was at the University of Notre Dame and Cathy was at the University of New Hampshire, and like Paul and Adrienne, we’d both traveled to a small coastal town in the hopes of a respite, when we met for the first time. I sensed something kind and wonderful about Cathy almost immediately, though Cathy (like Adrienne) was a little bit more hesitant in her feelings for me.

Like Paul and Adrienne, we had a lot of things in common—Cathy and I were both were middle children from Catholic families, both of us had an older brother and younger sister, both of us were majoring in business, and ironically, both sets of our parents celebrated their anniversaries on August 31. But more than that, I was drawn to her common-sense view of the world, her views on the importance of family, her ability to laugh and listen (all elements of Adrienne’s character and the way Paul sees her). On the day after we met, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, because I knew even then that I’d never find someone so perfectly matched for me as she was (again, just like Paul). So I told her how I felt. And Cathy’s first response when I told her that we’d be married someday? She laughed and suggested “that I get another beer.”

Like Adrienne, she didn’t believe it was possible. But it was.

Like Paul and Adrienne, we were only together for five days before we each had to go back to our “other” lives. And like Paul and Adrienne, we wrote letters and made phone calls to each other in the months we were apart. I wrote at least once a day, and shared my hopes and dreams with her. I wrote love letters, I wrote letters to let her know what I was doing, and I wrote letters that described a future life together. In fact, some of the letters quoted in the book were drawn from the letters I’d originally sent Cathy. And like Paul and Adrienne, despite the fact that we couldn’t see each other, our love for each other grew stronger during this period apart, and as the flap of the novel proclaims: love comes at any age, at any time, and often when we least expect it.

In other words, for those of you who don’t believe that love can blossom as quickly as it did for Paul and Adrienne, I just want you to know that it can, and it’s as real as love that takes years to form. And if you don’t believe love can grow stronger, even if you’re not together? It did for us, and my wife and I have been married since 1989.

Rodanthe, NC

At the tip of the Southern Outer Banks lies the beach town of Rodanthe (pronounced “Ro-DAN-thee), bordered on both sides by sand dunes and water. Rodanthe, part of the tri-city region that includes the towns of Waves and Salvo, is a place where people come for quiet relaxation on the sound. Rodanthe is also a more active town, popular for water and wind sports on the windy beach shores. The town also provides numerous and unique shops and restaurants. Tucked-away and peaceful, Rodanthe provides the ideal location for two worn-down people to find a second chance at love.

The stars of Unfaithful rekindle their on-screen chemistry in this rich tale of hearts' awakenings from the bestseller by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Message in a Bottle). Richard Gere is Paul, a surgeon who long ago unwittingly traded family for career. Diane Lane is Adrienne, a devoted mother trying to move on after her husband's infidelity and struggling with his desire to return to their marriage. At a remote inn on the Outer Banks, both separately expect to do some serious soul-searching. But an approaching storm forces each turn to the other for strength, setting the stage for a life-resonating romance.