A fascinating love story with a tinge of mystery

Book Review: Safe Haven

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Rating: 5/5

I recently completed reading Safe Haven. Just like all books written by Nicholas Sparks, this one too enchants the reader with its simplicity and emphasis on our purpose in life.

If Notebook redefined passion and friendship and A Walk to Remember strengthened your belief in true love, Safe Haven will show you how despite innumerable obstacles, divine intervention helps unite lovers. 

Katie is the unassuming beautiful protagonist who leaves the city where she has lived all her life, in search of peace. To add a new dimension to her life and ward off her abusive past, Katie comes to a faraway city and takes up a humble job to distract herself and keep the cash flowing. 

Having given up on happiness and love, Katie doesn’t talk much to anyone. However, she is quite amused to have a female neighbour who is inquisitive about all the happenings in her life.

Soon, Katie finds love in Alex, a widower. Their fairy-tale romance is interrupted when Katie’s abusive ex-husband reaches the new city, looking for her. What follows is a heart-warming story of love, betrayal, and hope - with several goosebumps’ moments.  

Love as a topic for a novel has been tossed over and been used by almost every second author who ventured into fiction writing. Whether it is mystery, comedy, humour, or something else, the stories usually have hues of love embedded in them. So, why is it that some love stories touch your heart and others don't? May be because of the way the author’s style captivates your mind or the characterization. I have often seen it is the simplicity and honesty with which a character is depicted that makes a story memorable. 

Probably that is the reason Sparks’ Safe Haven strikes a chord. We spend a lot of time on social networking sites these days and often meet ‘the special one’ meant for us online. However, at the risk of sounding ancient, I must admit that I still believe that a face-to-face interaction and ‘hand-written’ communication is way more romantic than any virtual interaction can ever be.  

Safe Haven is not a sloppy, mushy love story. It talks about the value of life, the price we pay for being emotional, and establishes the fact that Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. Full of interesting plot twists and surprises, this book is a page-turner. Highly recommended.