Product Description

Miles Ryan's life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago. Missy had been his first love, and Miles fervently believes she will be his last. As a deputy sheriff in the North Carolina town of New Bern, Miles Ryan not only grieves for Missy, but longs to bring the unknown driver to justice. Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews. His son Jonah's teacher, Sarah had left Baltimore after a difficult divorce to start over in the gentler surroundings of New Bern. Perhaps it is her own emotional wounds that make her sensitive to the hurt she first sees in Jonah's eyes, and then his father's. Tentatively, Sarah and Miles reach out to each other. Soon they are both laughing for the first time in years...and falling in love. Neither will be able to guess how closely linked they are to a shocking secret - one that will force them to question everything they ever believed in...and make a heartbreaking choice that will change their lives forever. In A BEND IN THE ROAD Nicholas Sparks writes with a luminous intensity about life's bitter turns and incomparable sweetness. His affirming message carries a powerful lesson about the imperfections of being human, the mistakes we all make, and the joy that comes when we give ourselves to love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1316079 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 368 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
A Bend in the Road is a first-rate novel and Nicholas Sparks' finest book yet. Such well-turned books as The Rescue, and Message in a Bottle established him as a writer of skill and persuasiveness, with a particular knack for wry, well-rounded characterisations--qualities well in evidence in this book.

Miles Ryan leads a relatively uneventful life in the small town in which he is sheriff--except for an incident two years previously that changed him irrevocably: the killing (by a hit-and-run driver) of his adored wife. Miles' obsession with uncovering the identity of the driver has led to problems with his nine-year-old son Jonah, who is having difficulties at school. And when Miles finds himself brought together with Jonah's teacher, the attractive Sarah, both of them are soon caught up in a relationship that will force them to re-examine what their lives mean--particularly as Sarah has a secret of her own.

The secret of Sparks' success (here, as in his other books) is to carefully establish the problems of his main protagonists so that we come to be involved in their lives and care about them--before involving them with someone else, who we similarly come to know intimately. It's not an easy task, and many a novelist has come adrift by concentrating too much on the hero or heroine at the expense of those around them. Sparks is much too sure-footed for that, and we are utterly involved with the problems of both Miles and Sarah (not to mention the nine-year-old Jonah, who is handled without a trace of sentimentality, which is a refreshing touch). As the central characters' destinies intertwine, we are as keen for them to recognise each other's virtues as we are that they'll solve the problems that have been ruining their lives. Barry Forshaw

MIRROR
‘Sparks’ novels about small-town American life are designed to give you that Readybrek glow…You’ll lap up the pure romance’

Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly
'Sweet, accessible, uplifting'

Customer Reviews

Romance at it's best
This book is very romantic and makes a great read, sparks is a wonderful writer and really brings the story to life. The book is about love under very tough circumstances that just get harder and has a very good twist in it. I loved reading this and would recommend it to all readers, especially ones who like a little weep or romance. Its the type of book that once you pick it up you can put it down again, worth a read!!

Another wonderful novel by Nicholas Sparks
I always like reading Sparks' novels. He has a wonderful way of describe his characters. When I first start reading, I can hardly stop before the last page. This is one of his best!

Fantastic
This book is fantastic and has an unexpected twist that you won't predict. I read this on honeymoon and couldn't put it down. The charactors are believeable and this book is of how our lives can change unexpectadly and the way we have to change even if we are not quite sure of the route to take. An inspirational book.