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The Lucky One

by Nicholas Sparks

The Lucky One is a 2008 romance novel by Nicholas Sparks. It follows U.S. Marine Logan Thibault, who finds a half-buried photograph of a smiling young woman while serving in Iraq. When those around him credit the picture… more

First published 2008 · 386 pages · English

29 quotes ★ 4.13 (377,650) Fiction

Quotes from the Book

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...
He was the toast to her butter.
You should be kissed everyday, every hour, every minute.
In the blink of an eye, something happens by chance - when you least expect it - sets you on a course that you never planned, into a future you never imagined.
Every now and then, I’d meet a guy and think that we were getting along great, and suddenly I’d stop hearing from him. Not only did he stop calling, but if I happened to bump into him sometime later he always acted like I had the plague. I didn’t understand it. I still don’t. And it bothered me. It hurt me. With time, it got harder and harder to keep blaming the guys, and I eventually came to the conclusion that there was something wrong with me. That maybe I was simply meant to live my life alone.
Most people don’t know how to appreciate the silence. They can’t help talking.
It's hard at times, but it makes a kid strong in ways that most people can't understand. Teaches them that even though people are left behind, new ones will inevitable take their place; that every place has something good - and bad - to offer. It makes a kid grow up fast.
If relationships were hard, mariage was even harder... it seemed like most couples struggled. It went with the territory. What did Nana always say? Stick two different people with two different sets of expectations under one roof and it ain't always going to be shrimp and grits on Easter.
The most ordinary things could be made extraordinary.
She had been proud of his decision to serve his country, her heart bursting with love and admiration the first time she saw him outfitted in his dress blues.
It was their secret, a secret meant for just the two of them, and she'd never been able to imagine how it would sound coming from someone else. But, somehow, Logan made it sound just right.
I tell myself that I know you, and then when I think about it, I realize that I don't.
When a man is that special, you know it sooner than you think possible. You recognize it instinctively, and you're certain that no matter what happens, there will never be another one like him.
Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doin them with the right people.(Elizabeth Green)
Friends come and go, clothing is packed and unpacked, households are continually purged of unnecessary items, and as a result, not much sticks. it's hard at times but it makes a kid strongs in ways that most people can't understand. Teaches them that even though people are left behind, new ones will inevitably take their place; that every place has something good and bad to offer. It makes a kid grow up fast.
It was easy to idealize someone you barely knew.
Why did you come here? To find you.
He closed his eyes as she put her hand on his shoulder, and in that instant, nothing else mattered. Not the song, not the place, not the other couples around him. Only this, only her. He gave himself over to the feel of her body as it pressed against him, and they moved slowly in small circles on the sawdust-strewn floor, lost in a world that felt as though it had been created for just the two of them.
I knew it wasn't fair, I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help it. And after a while, the anger I felt just sort of became part of me, like it was the only way I knew how to handle the grief. I didn't like who I'd become, but I was stuck in this horrible cycle of questions and blame.
Good and bad, strengths and faults, he was hers forever.
There is nothing like love. You should try it.” Thibault shrugged. “Maybe one day.
That’s a wonderful story.” “He was a wonderful man. And when a man is that special, you know it sooner than you think possible. You recognize it instinctively, and you’re certain that no matter what happens, there will never be another one like him.
I love you, Elizabeth... and more than that, I like you. I enjoy spending time with you.
As Logan walked towards her, he smiled as if reading her mind and opened his arms.
I got the sense that he was the kind of person who couldn't hold anger for more than a few minutes, because it just wasn't in him. It could never grow into resentment or bitterness, and I knew then that he was the kind of man who would be married forever. And I decided then and there that I should be the one to marry him.
Based on her experience with men, most assumed that when you talked to them about a problem or dilemma, they were expected to offer an opinion, even when all you wants was for them to listen.
Doesn't surprise me," Nana snorted. "I wouldn't put anything past your late husband." "He's not dead, Nana." Nana sighed. "Hope springs eternal.
How're the Broncos doing?" "Like a bunch of carrots." "Is that bad?" "Can carrots play baseball?" "I guess not." "Then you have your answer.
Being around someone who accepts and supports you will remind you to accept and support yourself.

Did you know?

  • The story's central plot device is a photograph a Marine finds in Iraq and adopts as a lucky charm.
  • The novel is set in the fictional town of Hampton, North Carolina.
  • It was adapted into a 2012 film directed by Scott Hicks and starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling.
  • The film adaptation's screenplay was written by Will Fetters and runs about 100 minutes.
  • The narrative unfolds through multiple points of view, including that of the antagonist, Keith Clayton.

About Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks is an American novelist best known for emotional romance novels set in the American South, including The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle. Many of his books have been adapted into successful films.

More about the author →

About the book

The Lucky One is a 2008 romance novel by Nicholas Sparks. It follows U.S. Marine Logan Thibault, who finds a half-buried photograph of a smiling young woman while serving in Iraq. When those around him credit the picture with his uncanny run of survival, Logan comes to regard it as a lucky charm, and after his final tour he sets out on foot across the country to find the stranger in the photo.

His search leads him to Hampton, North Carolina, and to Elizabeth 'Beth' Green, a divorced schoolteacher who runs a dog kennel with her grandmother. Logan takes a job at the kennel and grows close to Beth and her young son, all while never revealing the real reason he came looking for her. Their deepening relationship is threatened by Beth's controlling ex-husband, Keith Clayton, a local sheriff's deputy from a powerful family, whose jealousy pushes the story toward a stormy, tragic climax.

Like much of Sparks's work, the book weaves tender romance together with suspense and the theme of fate steering people toward one another. It became a bestseller and was adapted into a 2012 feature film starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling, cementing its place among Sparks's popular canon of Southern-set love stories.

Key characters

  • Logan ThibaultU.S. Marine who finds the photograph and seeks out the woman in it
  • Elizabeth "Beth" GreenDivorced teacher who runs a dog kennel and becomes Logan's love interest
  • Keith ClaytonBeth's controlling ex-husband and a local sheriff's deputy
  • BenBeth's young son
  • NanaBeth's grandmother and business partner at the kennel
  • ZeusLogan's loyal German shepherd companion

Book details

First published
2008
Length
386 pages
Reading time
6 hours
Genre
Fiction
Goodreads rating
4.13 (378k ratings) →

Movie & TV adaptations

  • IMDb
    The Lucky One 2012

    Romantic drama film directed by Scott Hicks, starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling

If you liked this, read…

  1. 1
    The NotebookAnother Nicholas Sparks Southern romance driven by fate and enduring love
  2. 2
    Dear JohnSparks novel centered on a soldier and a wartime-shaped romance
  3. 3
    Message in a BottleSparks story of a chance discovery leading to a search for love

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