BOOK REVIEW--"Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks

Reviewed by Bill Breakstone, December 31, 2011


I picked up a copy of Nicholas Sparks’ new novel “Safe Haven” the other day. I had read two of his previous books and watched the latest movie adaptation of his “Last Song,” and found them all entertaining. When a literary friend asked me what I’m currently reading, I told her the latest Sparks novel. She asked me why I’m wasting my time reading such inconsequential writing, I said because it’s fun, and that we can’t always be absorbed with serious literature.

And fun is what this novel is all about. Sparks tells a good story, if not on the level of a John Grisham, and he tends too often to mix in a little of the supernatural, when it is not at all needed.

This tale is set in a small town in rural North Carolina, about three hours southeast of Raleigh. Alex Wheatley is a thirty-something- year-old widower, a father of two delightful young children, and the proprietor of a country store/restaurant/gas station who has his hands full between the kids and the business. Katie Feldman is a recent arrival from up north, a secretive but very attractive 29-year-old. The four become close friends, eventually entering a serious relationship. Katie has a disturbing past, including a marriage to an abusive husband from whom she has fled.

The novel details the developing trust between Alex, Katie, and the two children, and the consequences of Katie’s previous marriage. No need to divulge any more than these few glimpses of the story line, except to say that the book is more than a romance novel, and that it evolves into a real thriller.

I enjoyed the read very much. It was a pleasant diversion from government, economics and literary fiction. Just a good fun read. I heartily recommend it.