Introduction

The Wedding (2003) is Nicholas Sparks's sequel to his bestselling novel The Notebook (1996). The Wedding is narrated by Wilson Lewis, the son-in-law of Noah and Allie Calhoun (the primary characters in The Notebook). Wilson's absentminded neglect of his relationship with his wife, Jane, comes to a head when he forgets their twenty-ninth anniversary. Her response brings Wilson to the realization that Jane may no longer be in love with him. With some encouragement and inspiration from Noah, Wilson decides to re-court Jane in the hopes of rekindling some of the magic from early in their relationship.

In his ninth novel, Sparks returns to the character of Noah Calhoun from The Notebook as Wilson's confidant and counselor in matters of the heart. When Jane and Wilson's oldest daughter, Anna, announces that she and longtime boyfriend, Keith, want to get married in one week—on Jane and Wilson's thirtieth anniversary—Wilson finds the perfect opportunity to display his year-long romantic efforts to win Jane back. While both Jane and Wilson support the immediacy of the wedding given Noah's unstable health, Jane is not pleased with Anna's request for a no-frills wedding. Jane wants Anna to have a formal ceremony and reception—the kind of wedding she never had. Wilson helps Anna and Jane reach a compromise, and he plays an integral part in pulling the wedding together. He draws on his memories of how he first courted Jane as a guide to planning a wedding-to-remember for his daughter, and in the process shows Jane the man he wants to become.