Posted on  20/08/2024 13:38:49

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As the parent of a child with special needs, this book came very close to my heart.

It may look like a cliche at first: a sweet love story between a beautiful woman in need of rescue and a rugged handsome hero on the background of an idyllic small town. But trust me, it is much more than that!

This is the story of Denise Holden, a single mother in her late twenties who struggles to raise her little cute 4 year old boy Kyle, who suffers of a delayed speech disorder. And while describing Denise's life, Sparks manages somehow to perfectly describe the life of almost all the mothers of children with special needs.

From the description of a typical day of life with her child:
"A step forward, a step backward, two steps to the side, always a struggle. He was better than he once had been, yet he was still to far behind."

to the questions that come creeping at night:
"had it been something she'd done while pregnant? Had she eaten the wrong food, had she rested enough?"; questions whose answers are simply too painful to consider like: "Was all of this somehow her fault?"

from the worries that plague her everyday:
"She worried about him all the time, and though all mothers worried about their children, she knew it wasn't the same. Sometimes she wished she knew someone else who had a child like Kyle. At least then someone would understand. At least then she'd have someone to talk to, to compare notes with, to offer a shoulder when she needed to cry. Did other mothers wake up every day and wonder whether their child would ever have a friend? Any friend? Ever? Did other mothers wonder whether their children would go to a regular school or play sports or go to the prom? Did other mothers watch as their children were ostracized, not only by other children but by other parents as well? Did their worries go on every minute of every day seemingly without an end in sight?"

to the way she judges others by the way they treat her child,

from loosing her patience and shouting and then feeling wretched for having done it to the fierce pride for the child's spirit because "despite everything, he is the greatest thing in your life"

Mr Sparks hits the nail on the head and shows everyone how life for such a mother really is. And me, as a reader, cannot help but admire the simplicity and elegance with which he describes it.

I normally avoid Mr. Sparks' novels because he always ends up killing someone in the end and I hate bad endings especially in love stories. But this novel is different.
True to his style, Mr. Sparks does kill someone here also, but still the good outweighs the bad and you can truthfully call this book a "feel good story" that I highly recommend for anyone in a mood for a lovely romance.

Check out this book and more by Nicholas Sparks on www.nicholassparks.com

Grab a copy of the book HERE.