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48-593: Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has published twenty-three novels, all New York Times bestsellers, and two works of nonfiction, with over 115 million copies sold worldwide in more than 50 languages. Among his works are The Notebook , A Walk to Remember , and Message in a Bottle all of which, along with eight other books, have been adapted as feature films. Sparks lives in North Carolina , where many of his novels are set. Nicholas Sparks

96-509: A Bottle , A Walk to Remember , Nights in Rodanthe , Dear John , The Last Song , and The Notebook . Films based on his novels have grossed $ 889,615,166 worldwide, while the Rotten Tomatoes scores range from 11% for The Choice to 53% for The Notebook , the most critically acclaimed film based on his work. In April 2021, it was announced that a film adaptation of The Return

144-526: A book by Bekah Brunstetter . The show had a pre-Broadway run in 2022 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater . New Bern, North Carolina New Bern (formerly Newbern ) is a city in and the county seat of Craven County, North Carolina , United States. At the 2020 census , it had a population of 31,291. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse and the Trent rivers, near the headwaters of Pamlico Sound on

192-645: A fire had destroyed much of the capitol. This became the first permanent capital city of North Carolina. There was no printer in North Carolina until 1749, when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned James Davis from Williamsburg, Virginia to act as their official printer. Before this time the laws and legal journals of North Carolina were handwritten and were largely kept in a disorganized manner, prompting them to hire Davis. Davis settled in New Bern and

240-462: A first-look deal with Sparks, with intentions being that a long-term working relationship follow; the three movies will be joint-venture productions between Universal Pictures and Anonymous Content. The Wish will be the first book to be developed by the studio, followed by Dreamland , and an as-of-yet unspecified third adaptation. The Wish will see Sparks serve as producer, alongside Park, and Zack Hayden. The Notebook (novel) The Notebook

288-418: A kiss and make love. Allie's mother shows up the next morning and gives Allie the letters from Noah. When her mother leaves, Allie is torn and has a decision to make. She knows she loves Noah, but she does not want to hurt Lon. Noah begs her to stay with him, but she decides to leave. She cries all the way back to the hotel and starts reading the letters her mother returned to her. At the hotel, her fiancé Lon

336-462: A median resident age of 38.8. The percentage of residents under the age of 18 was 24.2%. The 2012 racial breakdown includes White alone – 16,304 (54%), Black alone – 9,634 (31.9%), Asian alone – 1,844 (6.1%), Hispanic – 1,626 (5.4%), Two or more races – 747 (2.5%), American Indian alone – 50 (0.2%) and Other race alone – 13 (0.04%). The median income for a household in the city in 2015 was $ 41,285. The City of New Bern 2010 Census information shows

384-457: A new, all-weather tartan track to New Bern High School , where he has also volunteered to coach. The same year, he also donated "close to $ 10 million" to start a private school, The Epiphany School of Global Studies. Sparks has also funded scholarships, internships, and annual fellowships at the University of Notre Dame Creative Writing Program. In 2012, he founded The Nicholas Sparks Foundation,

432-577: A nonfiction book co-written by Billy Mills about Lakota spiritual beliefs and practices, published by Feather Publishing. The book sold 50,000 copies in its first year after release. In 1995, literary agent Theresa Park secured a $ 1 million advance for The Notebook from Time Warner Book Group , the book that became Spark's breakthrough novel. Published in October 1996, the novel made The New York Times bestseller list in its first week of release and eventually spent fifty-six weeks there. In 1998, after

480-413: A nonprofit that funds global education experiences for students, which has donated more than $ 15 million to charities, scholarship programs, and other projects. 11 of Sparks's books have been turned into films, four of which he produced, including The Choice , The Longest Ride , The Best of Me , and Safe Haven . Seven other of his books have also adapted for film: The Lucky One , Message in

528-579: A noted painter, their children, growing old together, and finally the diagnosis of Alzheimer's. He had changed the names in the story to protect her, but he is Noah and she is Allie. They walk together and Allie, although she does not recognize him, says she might feel something for him. That night they have dinner together. Referring to the story, she can't quite remember who Allie chose. Recognizing her husband, she tells him that she loves him. They embrace and talk, but after almost four hours, Allie fades. She begins to panic and hallucinate, and forgets who Noah

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576-481: A result, they were totally closed out of the political process, including participation on juries and in local offices; white Democrats maintained this suppression mostly, until after passage of federal civil rights legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , which provided for federal enforcement of constitutional rights. By 1890 New Bern had become the largest lumber center in North Carolina and one of

624-504: A surprise. She decides to see him again. During this time, her fiancé, Lon, tries to reach her at the hotel. When Allie does not respond to his calls, he begins to worry. The next day, Noah takes Allie on a canoe ride in a small lake where swans and geese swim. She is enchanted. On their way back, they are caught in a storm and end up soaked. When they return to his house, they talk again about how important they were to each other, and how their feelings have not changed. Noah and Allie share

672-402: A track and field scholarship, majoring in business finance and graduating magna cum laude . Sparks wrote his first, never published, novel, The Passing in 1985 and a second unpublished novel called The Royal Murders in 1989. He married Cathy Cote in 1989 and moved to New Bern, North Carolina . Sparks' first published book was Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding ,

720-435: Is again. The nurses have to come in and sedate her. Later, Noah has a stroke and cannot visit Allie. When he recovers, he goes to visit Allie late at night, as he is staying in the same care home. When Noah tries to sneak past the nurse station, the nurse on duty states that she is going for a coffee, even though she has one on the counter. The nurse also tells Noah she won't be back for a while and not to do anything while she

768-439: Is away. Noah realises it is just a ruse to let him go see Allie, and he goes and finds Allie in bed in her room, asleep. She wakes up, recognizes him as Noah, and tells him that she loves him. They kiss and fall asleep next to each other, believing their love will take them away together. In 2004, the novel was adapted into a popular film of the same name starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling . A television series based on

816-594: Is located in White Plains, New York , but was named after the town where Pepsi-Cola was first developed. The north–south U.S. Route 17 and the east–west U.S. Route 70 pass through New Bern. As late as 1950, the Atlantic and East Carolina Railway offered passenger train service through New Bern to Morehead City to the east, by the Atlantic coast and to Goldsboro Union Station , where timed connections could be made with

864-621: Is the second-oldest European-settled colonial town in North Carolina, after Bath . It served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 to 1792. After the American Revolution (1775–1783), New Bern became wealthy and quickly developed a rich cultural life. At one time New Bern was called "the Athens of the South," renowned for its Masonic Temple and Athens Theater. These are both still very active today. New Bern has four historic districts listed on

912-435: Is waiting in the lobby. The man stops reading the story at this point, and implies to the audience that he is reading to his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and does not recognize him. Throughout the story he explains he is also ill, battling a third cancer, and suffering heart disease, kidney failure, and severe arthritis in his hands. He resumes reading the story and describing their life together: her career as

960-476: Is water. U.S. routes 17 and 70 pass through the city, merging briefly as a four-lane expressway passing south of the city center. US 70 leads west 33 miles (53 km) to Kinston and southeast 35 miles (56 km) to Morehead City near the Atlantic Ocean. Raleigh , the state capital, is 112 miles (180 km) west via US 70. US 17 leads southwest 37 miles (60 km) to Jacksonville , and crosses

1008-464: The Canton of Bern , home state of their patron. Von Graffenried had the original plat of the town laid out in the shape of a cross, though later development and additional streets have obscured this pattern within the regular street grid . The British governor's palace (present-day Tryon Palace ) served as the capitol of North Carolina from 1770 until the state government relocated to Raleigh in 1792, after

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1056-546: The National Register of Historic Places ; their numerous contributing buildings include residences, stores and churches dating back to the early eighteenth century. Within walking distance of the waterfront are more than 164 homes and buildings listed on the National Register. Also nearby are several bed and breakfasts, hotels, restaurants, banks, antiques stores and specialty shops. The historic districts contain many of

1104-712: The Atlantic coast renders it subject to the effects of Atlantic hurricane seasons . For example, in the 18th century the town suffered severe damage in the Great Chesapeake Bay Hurricane of 1769 . Other hurricanes such as Hurricane Ione in 1955 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 have also caused significant flooding and damage. In September 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall in the United States just south of Wrightsville Beach , 88.4 miles southwest of New Bern. A storm surge of up to 13.5 feet, in addition to days of heavy rains, severely flooded various parts of

1152-531: The City of New Bern, 88.2% of which were occupied housing units. New Bern has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Coastal Carolina Regional Airport is a public airport located 3 miles (5 km) south of the central business district of New Bern. The airport offers connecting flights to Charlotte daily. The New Bern Transport Corporation, a business entity owned by PepsiCo to manage its fleet of delivery trucks and other motor vehicles,

1200-503: The Neuse River on a new bridge to lead north 36 miles (58 km) to Washington . New Bern experiences a humid subtropical climate typical of the Atlantic coastal plain . Summers are hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms that account for much of the higher summer precipitation. Spring and fall are generally mild, with fall foliage occurring from late October to early November. Winters are relatively mild and drier than

1248-542: The North Carolina coast. It lies 112 miles (180 km) east of Raleigh , 89 miles (143 km) north of Wilmington , and 162 miles (261 km) south of Norfolk . New Bern was founded in October 1710 by the Palatines and Swiss under the leadership of Christoph von Graffenried . The new colonists named their settlement after Bern , the Swiss region from which many of the colonists and their patron had emigrated. New Bern

1296-531: The age of 33 from a brain tumor, an event that inspired his novel A Walk to Remember . As a child, Sparks lived in Watertown, Minnesota ; Inglewood, California ; Playa Del Rey, California ; and Grand Island, Nebraska , before the family settled in Fair Oaks, California in 1974. In 1984, Sparks graduated valedictorian of Bella Vista High School . He began writing while attending the University of Notre Dame on

1344-620: The area was the site of the Battle of New Bern . Federal forces captured and occupied the town until the end of the war in 1865. Nearly 10,000 enslaved blacks escaped during this period in the region and went to the Union Army camps for protection and freedom. The Union Army set up the Trent River contraband camp at New Bern to house the refugees. It organized the adults for work. Missionaries came to teach literacy to both adults and children. Due to

1392-519: The area. The city has four National Historic Districts and two local ones, which have helped preserve the character of the architecture. The Downtown Local Historic District is 368.64 acres (149.18 ha) or 0.576 square miles (1.49 km ); the Riverside Local Historic District covers 51.94 acres (21.02 ha) or 0.081 square miles (0.21 km ). Union Point Park borders the Neuse and Trent rivers. New Bern's location near

1440-493: The city had a majority-black population. The state legislature defined the city and county as part of North Carolina's 2nd congressional district which, as former plantation territory, held a concentration of the state's black residents. They elected four blacks to the US Congress in the late 19th century. The state's passage of a constitutional suffrage amendment in 1900 used various devices to disenfranchise black citizens. As

1488-401: The city's 2,000 crape myrtles —its official flower—and developed gardens. New Bern has two "Local Historic Districts", a municipal zoning overlay that affords legal protection to the exteriors of New Bern's historic structures. New Bern was settled in October 1710 by the Palatines and Swiss under the leadership of Christoph von Graffenried . The new colonists named their settlement after

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1536-453: The continuous occupation by the Union Army, New Bern avoided some of the destruction of the war years. There was much social disruption because of the occupation and the thousands of freedmen camped near the city. Whereas the 1860 Census had shown a population of 5,432 (of which 3,072, or 57%, were black), the population had swollen by the end of the war to more than 20,000, mostly because of

1584-472: The house in the newspaper and decides to pay him a visit. They are meeting, again, after a 7-year separation, which followed their brief but passionate summer romance when her family was visiting the town. They were separated by class, as she was the daughter of a wealthy family, and he worked as a laborer in a lumberyard. Seeing each other brings on a flood of memories and strong emotions in both of them. They have dinner together and talk about their lives and

1632-434: The influx of freedmen. Still, New Bern recovered more quickly than many cities after the war. By the 1870s the lumber industry was developing as the chief part of New Bern's economy. Timber harvested could be sent downriver by the two nearby rivers. The city continued to be a center for freedmen, who created communities independent of white supervision: thriving churches, fraternal associations, and their own businesses. By 1877

1680-478: The largest in all of the South. During this time, as many as 16 lumber mills were running and employing hundreds of men from New Bern and the area. The competitive nature of the lumber barons, the abundance of lumber and craftsmen, led to the construction in New Bern of some of the finest homes in the South, many of which have survived. The lumber boom lasted until the 1920s. One by one the lumber mills went out of business. Today only Weyerhaeuser manufactures lumber in

1728-530: The novel is also being developed by writer Todd Graff , who will also exec produce along with Sparks and Theresa Park for the Warner Bros. Television and Nicholas Sparks Productions. A musical adaptation of the novel opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 14, 2024. The musical, co-directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, features a score by Ingrid Michaelson and

1776-408: The past. Allie learns that Noah had written letters to her for one year after their breakup. She realizes that her mother hid the letters so that Allie could never receive them and would conclude that Noah had forgotten about her. They talk about what could have happened between them without her mother's interference. At the end of the night, Noah invites Allie to come back the next day and promises her

1824-458: The population of the area was approximately 29,524 people. From 2000 to 2010, the New Bern city population growth percentage was 27.7% (or from 23,128 people to 29,524 people). 22.8% of the New Bern city residents were under 18 years of age. Census 2010 race data for New Bern city include the racial breakdown percentages of 57.0 white, 32.8% black, 3.6% Asian , 5.8% Hispanic and less than 1% Native American , Also, there were 14,471 housing units in

1872-526: The publication of The Notebook , Sparks wrote Message in a Bottle which, in 1999, became the first of his novels to be adapted for film in 1999. In total, eleven of his novels have been adapted as films: Message in a Bottle (1999), A Walk to Remember (2002), The Notebook (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Dear John (2010), The Last Song (2010), The Lucky One (2012), Safe Haven (2013), The Best of Me (2014), The Longest Ride (2015), and The Choice (2016). He has also sold

1920-422: The remainder of the year, with infrequent snowfall. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 31,291 people, 13,757 households, and 8,070 families residing in the city. Around 2,000 refugees from Myanmar have been resettled in New Bern. The population of the area was 30,291 (95% urban, 5% rural) people in 2014, a 31% increase in growth since 2000. Gender distribution is 47.5% male and 52.5% female with

1968-752: The screenplay adaptations of True Believer and At First Sight . Including The Notebook , fifteen of Sparks's novels have been No. 1 New York Times Best Sellers, and all of his novels have been both New York Times and international bestsellers. Sparks has also often been listed on Forbes annual highest-paid authors lists. In September 2020, Sparks published his twenty-first novel The Return and followed that up with The Wish in 2021 and Dreamland in 2022, each of which were optioned as films. Sparks lives in New Bern, North Carolina . He has three sons and twin daughters. In 2015, he divorced Cathy Cote, his wife of 25 years. In 2008, Sparks donated nearly $ 900,000 for

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2016-497: The town. [National Hurricane Center Storm Surge Inundation Map, Sept 13, 2018] New Bern is located at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers, two tidal waterways, in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.7 square miles (76.9 km ), of which 28.2 square miles (73.1 km ) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.7 km ), or 4.87%,

2064-581: The trade of goods and slaves associated with plantation agriculture . After Raleigh was named the state capital in 1792, New Bern rebuilt its economy by expanding on trade via shipping routes to the Caribbean and New England . It was part of the Triangle Trade in sugar, slaves, and desired goods. It reached a population of 3,600 in 1815. In 1862 during the early stages of the American Civil War ,

2112-547: Was Nicholas Sparks' first published novel and written over a time period of six months in 1994. Literary agent Theresa Park discovered Sparks by picking the book out of her agency's slush pile and reading it. Park offered to represent him. In October 1995, Park secured a $ 1 million advance for the book from the Time Warner Book Group , and the novel was published in October 1996. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list in its first week of release. The Notebook

2160-603: Was a hardcover best seller for more than a year. In interviews, Sparks said he was inspired to write the novel by the story of his wife's grandparents, who had been married for more than 60 years when he met them. In The Notebook, he tried to express the long romantic love of that couple. The novel opens with Noah Calhoun, an old man, reading to a woman in a nursing home. He tells her the following story: Noah, 24, returns from World War II to his town of New Bern, North Carolina . He finishes restoring an antebellum-style house , after his father's death. Meanwhile, Allie, 24, sees

2208-642: Was appointed by Colonial postmaster general Benjamin Franklin as North Carolina's first postmaster, who also became active in North Carolina's politics, as a member of the Assembly and later as the Sheriff. Davis also founded and printed the North-Carolina Gazette in New Bern, North Carolina's first newspaper. During the 19th-century Federal period, New Bern became the largest city in North Carolina, developed on

2256-505: Was born on December 31, 1965, in Omaha, Nebraska . His father, Patrick Michael Sparks, was a business professor and his mother, Jill Emma Marie Sparks (née Thoene), was a homemaker and an optometrist 's assistant. Sparks is of German , Czech , English , and Irish ancestry. He was the middle of three children, with an older brother, Michael Earl "Micah" Sparks (born 1964), and a younger sister, Danielle "Dana" Sparks Lewis (1966–2000), who died at

2304-437: Was in development. Tom Dean joined the production as director, with the project developed by Bisous Pictures, and MRC Films , while MRC will serve as distributing company. Sparks will serve as a producer alongside Elizabeth Cantillon, and Theresa Park. In May of the same year, it was announced that three additional films based on novels by the author were in development for distribution by Universal Pictures . The company signed

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