In January 2003, Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah set off on a three-week-trip around the world. It was to mark a milestone in their lives, for at 37 and 38 respectively, they were now the only surviving members of their family. As they travel the globe, the intimate story of their family unfolds in the details of the untimely deaths of their parents and only sister. Against the backdrop of the wonders of the world, the Sparks brothers band together...

"The motto, 'It is never too late to be what you might have been,' haunts Mary Davis. Newly widowed, she has the notion that if she can return to Paris with her increasingly distant daughter, perhaps she'll be able to reconcile with the past and find a new future"--Provided by publisher.

Father Tim and Cynthia arrive in the west of Ireland, intent on researching his Kavanagh ancestry. The charm of their lakeside B&B is broken when Cynthia startles a burglar and sprains her already-injured ankle. Then a cherished and valuable painting is stolen from the lodge owners, and Cynthia's pain pales in comparison to the wound at the center of this bitterly estranged Irish family.