Dear John

Dear John
By Nicholas Sparks
Warner Books, 2006. 276 p. Fiction

War has a sorry history of affecting everyone, not just the soldiers being paid to fight. When John makes the decision to join the army he gives up a lot; however, saying goodbye to a lazy, rebellious past can only be an improvement. His relationship with his single-minded, coin collecting father has been tenuous for years, but he’s hoping his career choice will somehow make his father proud. Army life is hard, but as it begins to mold John into the man he wants to be, he knows he made the right decision. Nevertheless, when Savannah slides into John’s world like a warm, southern lilt, the life he’s already committed to will clash harshly with the life he wants now.

Besides being just another sentimental love story, Dear John also takes on deeper themes such as: Asberger’s syndrome, father-son relationships, army life and the effects of 9/11 on specific individuals. In the end, Dear John asks us all to contemplate what we would sacrifice in order to make our true love happy. Now a major motion picture, Sparks fans can see the book unfold on the big screen.

DAP