THEMES

Love conquers all

The theme of love conquers all is one of the most prevalent themes in that we are shown throughout the story, without love, life is meaningless.

God's Plan

The theme of God's Plan is also an important idea. The answer to the question, What is God's Plan? is sought throughout the plot.

Superficiality and judgment based on appearances

Another theme to note is that of superficiality and judgment based on appearances which can be seen in the attitudes of Landon and his friends through most of the story.

How we all influence each other

The theme of how we all influence each other is a theme which makes the reader think about how we can have a lasting impact on the least among us.

How we all have the capacity to change

Another theme that is emphasized throughout is that of how we all have the capacity to change for the better as seen by all the characters in the story.

Faith

A final theme involves faith in God and in ourselves.

MOOD

At times, the mood is tragic, filled with despair, and very sad; at other times, it is uplifting and hopeful; finally, it is a triumphant commentary on the human spirit.

Nicholas Sparks - BIOGRAPHY

Nicholas Charles Sparks was born the second son of Patrick and Jill Sparks on December 31, 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska. As a child he lived in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska. The family finally settled in Fair Oaks, California. He graduated as the valedictorian of his high school class in 1984 and attended the University of Notre Dame on a track scholarship. He graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in Finance with high honors in 1988.

He worked numerous jobs since college, including: waiter, phone salesman, and real estate appraiser. His first published work was a book with the Olympic athlete Billy Mills that published in 1990.

He moved from California to North Carolina as a pharmaceutical salesman in 1992 and wrote The Notebook, which was later published in 1996. That really sparked his writing career and since The Notebook (1996), he has been the best selling author of several books, including: Message in a Bottle(1998), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), Three Weeks With My Brother (2004), True Believer (2005), and At First Sight (2005), which is his latest and will no doubt be as popular as all his others have been.

This novel, A Walk to Remember, published in 1999, was made into a movie which grossed an estimated $13.57 million on its opening weekend. It is inspired by his sister's life and courage. He is also the co-author of Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding. This novel was a main selection for the Literary Guild and the Doubleday Book Club.

He lives in North Carolina with his wife, Cathy (married in 1989), and five children: Miles, Ryan, Landon, Lexie, and Savannah.

Interesting fact: Sparks and J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, are the only two authors to ever have both a hardcover and paperback on the New York Times Best seller list at the same time for over a year.