The book follows the story of two high school sweethearts who are now middle-aged and have taken completely different paths. Neither of them managed to live the kind of life they had planned to live and none of them can forget the passionate first love that had changed their lives forever. They had to go back to their hometown for the funeral of their mentor, where they have to face each other again and are forced to confront the choices each has made. Will they be able erase the past and start afresh?

Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an internationally bestselling American author, writing novels with themes that include Christianity, love, tragedy and fate. He has fifteen published novels, four of which have been turned into films, including The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and Nights in Rodanthe. Movies are expected in 2010 for two more books, The Last Song and Dear John.