They live in the same house, share the same room: they are husband and wife, yet they act as two strangers.
This is how author Nicholas Sparks opens his book, The Wedding.
The main character Wilson has never stopped loving his wife, but he has ignored her and taken her loving presence for granted, as he put work before family. She, on the other hand, has dedicated herself entirely to her children and the household, sacrificing the exclusive
elationship with her husband.
Now that their adult children have left the nest, the two are left to themselves in a house too large where the moments of silence, interrupted by routine conversation, become increasingly suffocating.
When the Feeling Fades
They meet, fall in love, get married, and “live happily ever after”. This is the fairy take version of love. But the challenges of daily life and human fragility- unspoken of in fairy tales- sometimes lead to a bit more disappointing endings.
House, work, economic problems, concerns for the children or elderly parents, or simply divergent rhythms of life can transform “happily ever after” into “worn out and distant from each other”.
If you Begin to Love, the Love Returns
The passion, enthusiasm and complicity that once characterized the sweet story of Wilson and Jane seem to have disappeared. They could cede to the errors perpetuated throughout the years, or they could commit to putting back together the fragments of their love. They choose the latter and the results are surprising. With the help of Noah, Jane’s father, the two start over completely, even better than the first time.
This book, dated in 2003, is fresh, relevant and captivating for the theme and brilliant style of the author. Sparks, a well-known American novelist, has written numerous best sellers, many of which have become successful films, such as The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, referenced in our web site in 5 Movies on the Family.
It’s Never Too Late
This book, with a very realistic love story, will certainly appeal to lovers of romance novels. But it could almost pass for a manual for someone who is asking how to bring back to light a love that was hidden beneath the ashes of an apparently spent fire.
The reconciliation presented in this book, though incredible, was achieved by no easy means or immediate results. It may restore hope to those who think it is already too late to turn around and love each other as they once did.
