Upheavals of emotion
Tulip Chowdhury identifies with two lonely souls
Nicholas Sparks has done it again! He holds the reader captive from the first page to the last in Nights in Rodanthe. The book is a real page turner. This is the moving story of Adrienne Willis and Dr. Paul Flanner caught together in emotional upheavals and their discovery of love when they least expected it. Living in Rocky Mount in North Carolina, USA, Adrienne is reeling with heartache as her husband, Jack breaks up their marriage and leaves for a younger woman. Left to bring up three teenage children on her own Adrienne tries to balance her job and home. When Adrienne stands in front of the mirror she sees herself as an aged woman, who has become unattractive. She is aware of how betrayal can belittle a person. She had been too busy raising the children and taking care of her home and did not notice Jack losing interest in her. Now left alone Adrienne has hard time consoling her three children, Mat, Amanda and Dan. She feels as if she had failed her children for not being able to keep the family together. She tries to add to the family's crippling finances by keeping up the job at the local library. When the world seems to be falling apart her friend Jenny calls from Rodanthe. She wants Adrienne to spend some days at the small coastal town to look after her inn while she attends a wedding in another town. Adrienne agrees thinking that it will give her the tranquility and peace she needs to rethink her life. Just as Adrienne comes to Rodanthe, a major storm is forecast and a guest, Dr. Paul Flanner, arrives. Paul is a surgeon. He was a workaholic until his wife and son left him because he had been too obsessed with work. He is in Rodanthe to see the husband of a patient who had died after surgery. Adrienne and Paul are caught together with the fierce nor'easter in the way. As they spend the first two days Paul finds Adrienne very attractive with her natural flawless skin, the soft brown curly hair and the hazel eyes. Knowing that Adrienne was divorced Paul does not hesitate to let her know that he is attracted to her. But Adrienne is still very much in shock and refuses to believe that another male may be interested in her. Worst of all she thinks that she is growing old and no one would want her anymore. Jack's rejection of her had left her soul bleeding and she has not found anybody who could console her weary heart. She feigns indifference to Paul's interest in her. The people of Rodanthe are bracing themselves for the storm. Adrienne asks Paul to help her as they settle in to ride the fierce weather. She hurries out to get some grocery supplies. Meanwhile Paul finds the wooden planks to board the windows. When Adrienne comes back she finds him patiently putting up the boards. She finds his methodical way of doing the work impressing. Adrienne tries to prepare some food that can be kept in case the electricity is cut off. Paul joins her and lends a hand with the kitchen work. Even in this short time Adrienne finds Paul very accommodative and it seems as though they had known each other for a long time. Added to all these is Paul's desire to be her friend. As they keep working together, suddenly Adrienne is ready to try out a new life. "Why must I keep crying over split milk?" She asks herself. In the evening, after she took her shower she put on some rouge and mascara. Next she put on her white blouse and the black skirt she had brought. And now it seems as though she had known that Paul would be here and some unseen forces had her bring these clothes and cosmetics. As night came on the wind started raging outside. Thunder and lightning followed and the sea is like a dark, angry mass. Adrienne and Paul, the two lonely souls, are like two pieces of magnets and find themselves growing closer as the night deepened. They find themselves telling each other about the pain of breaking up their families. Paul admits that it was his fault that his wife started to see someone else when he was not there. His son too was gone because of his absence in the boy's life. And he tells Adrienne that he plans to join his son in Ecuador and make it up to him. His honesty and amiable manners make Adrienne open her heart to him. Adrienne admits that until now, until she had met Paul, she had not wanted to seek out life again. And there Paul takes her in his embrace and holds her. Adrienne does not try to set herself free. In fact after facing loneliness she is glad that someone is here to hold her and to want her. It is as if destiny had planned that they should find each other on this stormy night. Paul and Adrienne are lost in love, little do they hear the ferocious howling of the wind outside. Both of them feel as if years of bitterness have melted in the tenderness of their love. Morning finds them sleeping in each other's arms in the bed. They go out and find the devastation that storm has caused. Mercifully the house had stood tight and apart from the broken chimney and few wooden planks coming loose, they were quite safe. Feeling very blissful and in love Paul decides not to go to Ecuador to his son. But Adrienne persists, saying he will not be at peace until he reaches out to his son. And this visit to Ecuador ultimately comes with surprises and troubles like Pandora's box. Adrienne and Paul are in constant touch with each other, dreaming away of the day he will come back and they will settle down; two souls who are together by sheer chance. They find that love is possible at any age, at any time and often comes when one least expects it. But the path of love, though found so suddenly does not come on a smooth road for them for tragedy awaits the two lovers. Adrienne once again finds her soul searching for peace and reasons. The big question for the reader comes, will Adrienne and Paul finally be united, indeed will love take them to show them the way to a new life? The story of Paul and Adrienne comes with soul seeking questions. Why does a marriage fail? When a family breaks up, who is to be blamed for the pains the children go though? And indeed in the midst of it all if the betrayed spouse finds happiness can she or he embrace it even if means another upheaval for the children? The modern world is witnessing a rise in family breakups. The reasons are varied. But when a family does come apart on account of one spouse getting into to a new relationship, the children and the betrayed spouse suffer the most. In this family saga we witness the humility and sacrifices of Adrienne and the children as the father goes off for another woman. The reader is saddened at the plight of the broken family and is touched again when Adrienne sees light at the end of the tunnel. Indeed the story is woven into real life drama and wakes up the reader with the joys and sorrows of everyday. Adrienne's life is a stark reminder that things can change in life without any warning. The story also brings the message that happiness may be found round the corner if one can seek it out. Nicholas Sparks is a writer to be read and re-read, his stories are to be read and savored into life's many long hours.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments