Monday, November 11, 2013

THE LONGEST RIDE (NICHOLAS SPARKS)

 
 
Review:
 
Grand Central Publishing|September 17, 2013|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-4555-2065-7
 
Ninety-one-year-old, Ira Levinson found himself in big trouble.  His car has gone off the road in a snowstorm and down a steep embankment.  Already frail and in poor health he is completely isolated and all alone.  Will someone see his car down the embankment and rescue him, or will he suffer from his injuries and the cold and succumb to his death?  As Ira fights with himself to stay conscious, a blurred image appears beside him – his dead wife, Ruth who has passed away nine years ago.  Ruth talks to Ira about the life they lived together to keep him focused, alert, and thinking to prevent him from lapsing into unconsciousness.  Ira has a difficult time at first believing that Ruth is really there with him but finally reconciles it in his mind and accepts it.  Ira and Ruth talked back and forth about the good times and the bad times in their marriage.  Ira has been deeply, deeply in love with his beloved Ruth and missed her more than words could ever express. 
 
College student, Sophia Danko is at a western dance with her friend and roommate, Marcia.  Not feeling up to dancing and not knowing how to line dance, Sophia goes outside into the fresh night air.  Within a few minutes her drunk ex-boyfriend, Brian strolled up and began to hassle her.  When he grabbed her by the wrist he was hurting her.  Just then a strikingly handsome cowboy named, Luke came to her aid.  Within seconds he had, Brian lying down, face first in the dirt with his boot on the back of his neck.  After finishing with Brian, Luke and Sophia strike up a conversation and it doesn’t take long for them to begin dating. 
 
Luke ends up showing Sophie a whole new word that she has never seen before – that of rodeo’s and farming.  As they get to know each other they horseback ride, attend rodeo’s together where Sophie watches Luke bull ride.  They are falling more and more in love.  Sophie begins to ponder what a permanent future would be like with Luke – that is, if the secret he is keeping doesn’t totally destroy their relationship first. 
 
Soon, the lives of Luke and Sophie and Ira and Ruth will come together in the most unexpected way. 
 
I loved The Longest Ride.  The plot was great, the characters well fleshed out and the ending totally blew me away.  I didn’t see that coming at all.
 
Nicholas Sparks has written another winner, a book to be enjoyed by all. 
 


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