Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

My Review:
No doubt about it. Nicholas Sparks is a good storyteller. From the first page, I want to be left alone to read undisturbed. The story moves along from scene to scene in a smooth fashion.

"What does it mean to truly love another?" The answer is found in this a love story about a man's life, but this is not an expected romance between a man and a woman. It's easy to see that Savannah and John are meant for each other; however, love goes beyond romance. The relationship between John and his father is also closely examined. The friendship of John and Tony, his army buddy, is believable.

The story takes place in North Carolina and spans several years, including the 9/11 attack. Autism and Asperger's conditions are written about with great care, giving me a bit of an education. The pain of old age and illness are included. The dialogue is well written; the characters are realistic.

Although there is the gratuitous sex scene, I liked this book. This book should be read!