The Lucky One

Nicholas Sparks

Sep 2008 · Sold by Grand Central Publishing

About this ebook

A U.S. Marine's brush with death leads him to the love of his life in this New York Times bestseller of destiny, luck, and the redemptive power of romance.
After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

Ratings and reviews

Yet another one of Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling books, The Lucky one is a great story that tells the tale of love, loss, and betrayal. In the story, former-marine Logan Thibault trecks across America to North Carolina to meet the mysterious girl in the picture that kept him alive through three tours in Afganistan. After arriving in Hampton, a small town in NC, he takes a job working for Elizabeth (the girl in the photo) and Nana, Elizabeth’s grandma, who adores him, in their kennel. Throughout this heart-warming book, we see Logan make friends, enemies, and allies in just a few short months. The story, being told in alternating view points, really allows for the reader to connect to all of the characters in the book, and almost feel as if the reader was there in Hampton working in the kennel alongside the characters. The main purpose of the book is basically to show how love can overcome obstacles. The ups and downs that are thrown at Logan and Elizabeth throughout the book mirror real-life situations that every day couples go through, while also staying interesting and entertaining. Another type of relationship construed in this book is the bonding of Logan and Elizabeth’s son Ben. From the first time they met, Ben and Logan had a special bond that tied the book together perfectly. Keith Clayton, Ben’s father and Elizabeth’s ex-husband, is the antagonist in the book, who constantly is causing some sort of a problem for Logan. Throughout the story, and several face-offs between the two, Nicolas Sparks shows how being a good person and staying good tempered is the best way to go through life happily. Logan’s friend summarizes his fate in just four wonderful and short sentences: “you found that picture for a reason. No one claimed it for a reason. You took it today for a reason. Only you were meant to have it” (23). Nicholas Sparks does a remarkable job of conveying the deep emotions. Compared to Sparks’ other top-sellers, The Lucky One was just as great as all of his other amazing and riveting stories. This book is a must read for all teenage girls, mothers, and even grandmothers who like any basic boy-meets-girl love story.

In The Lucky One by Nicolas Sparks, is an empowering love story that triggers every human emotion from bliss to sorrow and truly pulls on your heartstrings. Logan Thibault finds a picture of a woman in the debris while fighting in Afghanistan. By the end of his time in Afghanistan, Logan witnessed many people die but miraculously he survived. He soon realizes that the picture brings him good lucky and the girl is his good luck charm. Upon returning to Colorado, Logan decides to walk across the country to find the woman in the picture. After five years, he finally finds her in North Carolina. He takes a job at the dog training facility her grandmother owns. At first the woman, Elizabeth Green, finds him unpleasant and wants nothing to do with him. After falling in love, Elizabeth’s ex-husband, Keith Clayton, tries to sabotage their relationship. Throughout all obstacles their love prevails. Throughout the book Nicolas Sparks does an extraordinary job elucidating the power of love. As a result of their love, Beth realized on day as “Logan stopped and gazed skyward as the kite began to soar above them, and when he clapped his hands at Ben's obvious joy, she was struck by the simple truth that sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people” (174). The moments in Beth’s life were no longer simple, but they were remarkable. Also, Beth finally found the power to stand up to her ex-husband after his constant threats. Not only was it for her, but for Logan as well. Love bestowed Beth with courage. Logan exemplifies a lucky person by cheating death, finding the woman in the picture, and also falling in love with her. Logan's friend Victor told him “You found that picture for a reason. No one claimed it for a reason. You took it today for a reason. Only you were meant to have it” (23). The picture turns out to be the creator of many problems, because Logan cannot find the right words to explain to Beth how he found the picture. Not only was the picture just Logan's good luck charm, but it also had a special meaning to Beth. In comparison to other Nicolas Sparks books, this book was different in a sense that the antagonist played key role in the story. Keith, being the father of Elizabeth’s child would use his authority against Logan constantly. At parts you wish that he would just disappear, but without Keith the book would not have been nearly as dramatic. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading love stories. However, it is similar to your typical love story, but Nicolas Sparks does an excellent job at incorporating unexpected twists. Although it is a little slow in the beginning, after a few chapters you will become enthralled.

U.S. Marine Logan Thibault is in Iraq and finds a photo of a woman in the sand. The photo shows the woman in front of a sign "Lucky Lady' and an inscription tells the bearer to "keep safe." When he can't find the owner,before going into battle, Logan places the photo in his pocket. Other men in his unit are injured and killed but he escapes. He comes to feel that the woman in the photo is protecting him. When he is discharged from the Marines he decides to find the woman. He does't know why, exactly but is drawn to her as if she was part of his destiny. He walks from his home in Colorado, accompanied by his dog, Zeus, and goes to where he found the photo was taken, Hampton, N.C. Logan finds that the woman runs a kennel and there is a help wanted sign. He takes the job but doesn't tell her of the photo. Eventually he becomes a valued part of her business and a special friend to her son, Ben, and her grandmother. Then Logan and Beth begin a romance. The pacing of the novel is precise with a gradual build up to the conclusion. Logan had made an enemy in the town who was Beth's former husband, Keith. The reader doesn't know if Keith will be able to gain revenge on Logan by ending the romance Logan and Beth share. Well done and enjoyable.

About the author

With over 100 million copies of his books sold, Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved storytellers. His novels include sixteen #1 New York Times bestsellers, and all of his books, including Three Weeks with My Brother, the memoir he wrote with his brother, Micah, have been New York Times and international bestsellers, and were translated into more than fifty languages. Eleven of Nicholas Sparks's novels -- The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, The Lucky One, The Last Song, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle -- have been adapted into major motion pictures.