Of fathers and daughters . . .
Tulip Chowdhury shares the emotions of a family
A mixture of love, suspense and family, The Last Song comes to lovers of Nicholas Sparks as the new spellbinder. In the new saga Sparks weaves his magic, threading together the intricate story of four very different people tied inextricably together. Veronica Miller, the rebellious teenager, is sent to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, by her mother to spend the summer with the estranged father. Her parents had divorced recently and that itself is enough to drive the troubled teenager to emotional upheavals. Coming from New York Veronica finds her first ever trip to the south rather nerve-wracking. The beach house of Jack, her father, is very different from the apartment she had lived in all her life among the high rise, tall skyscrapers of New York. The undulated sea offers her some respite. There is a pub house that usually is crowded with young folks socializing the summer through. Here she meets Murcus, the loner who loves to get people into trouble. Some other people she meets seem to reject her presence in the pub house. Veronica realizes that she not only dislikes the place, she is not even getting to like its people either. Even the mild mannered Will Blakelee spills soda on her at a gathering in the pub house. But Veronica remains calm when that happens, accepts Will's apology and quietly goes out. Will realizes that Veronica, the girl with the streak of purple hair, is not just another angry teenager, that she has a quiet disposition of her own. Jonah, Veronica's ten-year old brother, also knows that his sister is a smart and nice person inside her rebellious self. He has seen her arguing for hours with his mom but then, immediately afterwards, she would be the most loving sister to him. Both Jonah and Veronica are to spend the summer with their father. Jonah is happy to be on the oceanfront and loves his time with his father. Veronica had not spoken to her father since he left home and came away to Wrightsville. After coming to him she makes it clear that she has no intention of staying at home all day or be on friendly terms with him. But outside her home there is trouble in the beach town. Murcus starts stalking her and Veronica has a hard time keeping herself at a safe distance from him. Blaze, Murcus's girlfriend, is jealous and lands Veronica in a false shop lifting case. While bringing Veronica back from court her father tells her that he believes her to be innocent. Veronica feels sorry for having been rude to her father and realizes that he loves her very much. Veronica has a talent for playing the piano. But because her father had been a pianist she has not played the piano since her parents' divorce. She did not want to relate to her father in any way. Jack had not played the piano since Veronica's arrival in Wrightsville because she had told him that she hated to hear him play. Then one day thinking her to be away from home he secretly plays a song. Veronica comes in, to see him go into a sudden coughing fit and later spit out blood. Jack then confesses that he has cancer and is living out the grace period of his life. From here on begins the story of a loving daughter's complete devotion to her father living out his last days in the world. In the meantime, Will Blakelee falls in love with Veronica. But Will's mother is completely against the girl who is accused of shoplifting. When Veronica tells him of Blaze's conspiracy Will believes her. However, Veronica's troubles in the new place do not end. Murcus continues to bother her and Blaze refuses to get her cleared of the false charges. Will and Veronica grow closer and together they volunteer to look after some sea turtles that are in danger of becoming extinct. At the end of the vacation Will invites Veronica to his sister's wedding. Murcus turns up and creates trouble, offending the invited guests. Will's mother blames Veronica, for she knows that Murcus is there on her account. Angry and hurt by the accusation, Veronica informs Will that she will end their relationship. In the meantime Will leaves to study in Europe. School reopens but Veronica refuses to leave her father alone. She decides to take care of him till the last. After Will comes back from Europe he and Veronica are reunited through saving Blaze from a fire. Blaze now goes to the police station and confesses to framing Veronica. She also tells the police that the fire that had burnt her was started by Murcus and Blaze was a witness to it. Murcus lands in jail when Blaze reports Murcus's crime. In the meantime Jack's health deteriorates; he is in and out of hospital. Jack asks Veronica to make sure that he is not put on a support system. He asks her to let go of him when the time comes. The pain of having to let go of a loved person makes the story a heartfelt one. Veronica regrets her earlier behaviour with her father and tries to make up for it. The fact that her father is most forgiving makes her cry all the more. She also discovers that the divorce of her parents was not as a result of her father's fault but the fact that her mother was having an extra-marital affair. This makes her feel all the more guilty about having blamed her father. All these accumulated feelings seem to culminate into a deep understanding between father and daughter. Veronica finally starts playing the piano again and completes the song that her father had left unfinished. He asks her to play the song before he breathes his last. The Last Song is a heart-rending saga that delves into love at all levels. It is an emotional roller coaster. The reader is wholly engaged with the joys and tears of the real-life defining plots. The characters are palpably real and their thoughts and feelings are sewn together with a deft mastery of words. The story has been made into a major motion picture. It is definitely Sparks at his best.
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