Tales of war and peace
Tulip Chowdhury explores life in its diversity
The US armed forces were fighting in Iraq when US Marine Logan Thibault, during his duty finds a picture of a smiling young woman buried in the sand. He knows that he is being superstitious but ever since he has started keeping the photograph in his pocket he seems to get lucky. He is winning series of poker games and even surviving deadly attacks. His best friend Victor seems to have an explanation and says that the photo is a "lucky charm". True to the Victor's prophesy, the master of words, Nicholas Sparks wounds the reader around the web of superstition as he sets his protagonist on the test of beliefs. Holding his own belief in superstition Victor tells Thibault about the photo, "There is yet more to come." Thibault lands in an aura of mystery. He is more perplexed when on a day of deadly assault with the enemies Victor dies in front of him and once again Thibault is spared. A few days later Thibault is called back home in Colorado. At home he finds his thoughts engrossed with thoughts of the young woman who has become his lucky charm. With the help of some background land marks he finds out that the picture was taken in Hampton, North Carolina. Thibault is the soldier, the fighter who does not give up to fear. There is a "down to the bone" feeling that he has to find the young woman. He takes Zeus, his German shepherd and starts his walk to North Carolina to find the mysterious woman who fills his every day thoughts. Nicholas Sparks certainly keeps his readers on the toes as Thibault starts on his great journey. Will he finally reach his destination? Will he find the woman of his dreams and what will happen if he does find her? Hiking from Colorado to North Carolina is no easy travelling. But Thibault is ready to face the hidden lurking obstacles that stand in the way, he is forever the indomitable soul of the soldier. The reader's mind also becomes engrossed, will Thibault find the woman? What will happen if he does meet her? Is she a normal human being? Why does her picture become a lucky charm for him? The answers to all the questions on the reader's mind do not unfold in one page. Sparks builds up this super story of love and trust, betrayal and empathy that are on test of time. Thibault finds the young woman in the picture. She is Beth, running an animal shelter in Hampton. Beth works with Nanna, her grandmother. Beth is divorced with a young son Ben. When Thibault meets Beth he feels a strange urge to know her better. He is caught off guard in his attraction to her and hides the truth about his coming to Hampton. When he looks for a job Nanna agrees to take him in to aid her in maintaining the shelter. Thibault, now so close to Beth becomes a part of her everyday life. He is aware that like all broken families, Beth has difficulties when her ex-husband Sheriff Keith Clayton comes to take Ben for the weekends. Ben and Thibault become great pals. Thibault feels sorry for Ben when with every visit to his father, Ben looks more and more depressed. From Nanna he learns that Clayton is often abusive to his son. He tries to hold out his friendship to the boy so that he would open up and find some solace. Watching Thibault and Ben bond so closely makes Beth wonder if there is any truth in Nanna's saying that the young man was heaven sent and that she should pay more attention to him. The soldier in him wakes up and wants to defend the little boy, to help him reach a healthy adulthood. The writer leads the reader by the nose reading into Thibault's life as he seems to be the "lucky one",chosen by the lucky charm. The daring young man wonders if he will also be the lucky one to be chosen by Beth as a soul mate. A series of episodes Thibault is saved from brewing trouble with Clayton, he gets lucky with his new work ; all seem to lead to the picture of Beth that he carries with him. In fact he has a feeling of being on safe side with everything while he has his lucky charm. One day there comes a spell of bad weather and the whole of Hampton is flooded. Just at that time Clayton once again comes with cross words for Ben and the boy heads for his tree house that is just above the flooded creek. There is a race for survival. Clayton, realizing the danger his son is in rushes towards the creek. Thibault arrives on the scene to see Clayton being swept away by furious flood water after he hits a rock. Thibault heads towards the tree house where Ben was facing danger, but Thibault held on to his calm knowing that he had given Ben the lucky charm the day before and that Ben had it with him. And that that meant he will be safe. The family drama surrounding Beth's broken home pulsates with suspense as Thibault becomes more and more an inseparable part of her life. Calyton, though is the estranged husband of Beth detests anyone who comes near Beth. Beth learns of his involvement in driving away few dates she had in the past. Even if Beth starts to dream of a spark of happiness in her life she is still apprehensive about accepting Thibault in her life. And indeed will Thibault try to save Clayton from the flood after he had openly shown his dislike for the stranger who was entering Beth and Ben's life? The reader is glued to the story as it reaches its climax and the characters take surprising turns to weave the story into exploding events. The characters seem to lead the reader by the hand and absorb them into the so life- like a story. The gripping plot keeps the reader glued to the story as does Spark's other novels. The last sentence of the saga has the reader sighing with contentment for having found so good a story about life and how it can change the land marks of life. The story may be just another family story but what comes with simplicity often holds the final sparks of life! It's a must read for all Spark fans!
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