The dangerous paths of love

The Guardian, Nicholas Sparks, Warner Books

Sparks certainly knows how to tug the reader's heart strings! A rich assortment of characters, romance, intriguing plot and mystery make The Guardian a book that is to be read by holding one's breath till the end comes. The saga continues to fill the heart with the joy of reading and excitement bubbles even long after reading the book!
Four years after her husband Jim's death, Julie Barenson is still unable to pick up the ropes of life. Living in Swansboro, a small town in North Carolina, she is just getting along with the life typical of such a town. She has friends who stand by her and support her in her times of need. Working as a hairdresser in a local salon named Clipper, she knows most of the people in the town. Mabel, the owner of the salon and who is also her deceased husband's mother, is more like a friend than the boss. Julie loves the hours she spends in her work. In her lonely hours she can turn to Henry, her husband's friend, and his wife Emma. Both are wonderful people. And there is Mike Harris, her husband's best friend. After Jim's death Mike has become her best friend, always there in deeds and words. When Jim dies he leaves her two gifts. One of these is the Great Dane puppy and the promise that he will always be watching over her. The puppy grows into a huge dog and Julie names her Singer. Singer is always beside Julie, guarding her and accompanying her everywhere. Julie cannot think of a day without the dog beside her.
After four years of staying single Julie decides to go out on dates again. She has a feeling that Jim, watching her from heaven, wants her to be happy. She is certain that he would not have wanted her to spend a lonely, desolate life. Just then Richard Franklin, a handsome, sophisticated engineer, comes to the town. Richard starts asking her out right after their first meeting. He is the Prince Charming any woman would dream of meeting. Andrea, Julie's colleague at the salon, is head over heels in love with him. But Richard is after Julie, coming regularly to the salon to meet her and going out to fantastic places just to entertain her. Richard takes Julie to expensive places and buys her expensive gifts. Julie is flattered. She visits places for the first time in her life. She is completely carried away until one day she is not wearing a locket that Richard has given her and Richard suddenly shows his angry self. Julie is confused over this new face of Richard and does not know what to make of the man to whom she has just begun to give herself completely.
Julie starts putting some distance between herself and Richard. She refuses to go out with him anymore. Mike Harris has grown to love Julie secretly after his friend died. When Richard started dating Julie Mike realized that he was about to lose Julie. He wants to let Julie know about his feelings but is afraid that she may turn him down. He has been a very good friend to Julie all along. And he is certain that Julie does not think of him as anything other than a friend and a well wisher. But Mike's brother Henry tells Mike to let Julie know of his feelings. Mike and Julie go out one day and find that they like to be out together. From that day they start seeing each other regularly. Singer plays a strange role in all of this. Whenever Richard is near he starts growling and becomes restless. But he wags his tail when Mike comes and follows him around. Singer indeed is like a guardian given by Jim and Jim himself seems to be there watching her.
As Julie stops seeing Richard, Andrea starts dating him secretly. At one point, Andrea fails to turn up at the salon for one whole week. She is found bound and beaten in the wood. No person other than a psychopath could have done the beating. Police start suspecting Richard as she was seen last with him at a restaurant. Just when the police start asking questions Richard disappears. Although Richard is not at his home, Julie catches him stalking her. Her calls her from an unidentified phone number and tells her that she is meant to be with him, that they will be happy together. He calls her Jessica. Investigation reveals Jessica to be his missing wife. Now Julie's life is threatened as Richard continues to stalk her. It becomes evident that he has changed his appearance. Mike takes Julie to a far away beach house to hide out from Richard. But Julie as well as Mike become Richard's targets. The police find out that he had killed a man and stolen his identity. And the search for his real identity is intense as Julie and Mike try to hide out in the beach house.
The suspense digs deeper into the climax as Singer is poisoned. That means Richard must be nearby. The police come in to give Mike and Julie protection. But even the police can hardly make out the real identity of Richard and hence how to find him? Meanwhile, Mike never lets Julie out of sight and Julie feels as if Jim has sent Mike to her. He has all along been the guardian watching over her. The only dilemma is whether Richard can be caught before he harms Mike or Julie. Mike and Julie's love is indeed a test of time and circumstances. From here the reader has to start turning the pages until the last page is read!
In this richly imagined novel Sparks plunges the reader into a borderland between romance and mystery, between exclusion and privilege and between desire and frustration. The characters are sewn seamlessly into the storyline. There are some fascinating insights and compelling characters that mesmerize the reader. The story is deeply felt, poignant and engrossing. It creates a profound emotional impact. A "catch the breath" reading for everyone!

Tulip Chowdhury writes fiction and teaches