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"We didn't escape unscathed. Who could? Our sister's death hit us hard-not just her death, but all of the deaths, one after the next" (355).
Definition: without suffering any injury, damage, or harm.
The hikers were left unscathed as they tumbled out of the way before a rock rolled down the mountain in their path.

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"We'd been raised to survive, to meet challenges, and to chase our dreams. We made the best of our lives because we had to. Because we wanted to. We had families of our own, families that needed us, and we couldn't let them down" (355).

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"We'd been raised to survive, to meet challenges, and to chase our dreams. We made the best of our lives because we had to. Because we wanted to. We had families of our own, families that needed us, and we couldn't let them down" (355).

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This passage summarizes they whole memoir very well as Nicolas recalls the fact that his life is full of challenges that would never get him down. Ever since his childhood, Nicolas, Micah and Dana learned how to overcome obstacles and how to come out a better person in the end. Even with the deaths of their mom, dad and dana, miscarriage, autistic child and many others, they Sparks were able to overcome them. They had the strength to continue on and live a somewhat "normal" life. The book does not focus on the fact that they are both wealthy but that their lifestyle did not come easy to them.

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October 24th, 2016

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"Nonetheless, it was a momentous feeling to wander through the oldest ruins known to mankind. And adding to the sense of gravity was our group itself" (301).
Definition: of great importance or significance, especially in its bearing on the future.
At the house, the party had a momentous atmosphere when Julia arrived with her graduation cap still attached to her head and her peers following her.

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"On the sidewalks, people passed by, without a second glance. Cars rolled by steadily...Everywhere else, life was going on as normal, but for Micah, nothing seemed normal at all" (323). 

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"On the sidewalks, people passed by, without a second glance. Cars rolled by steadily...Everywhere else, life was going on as normal, but for Micah, nothing seemed normal at all" (323). 

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Nicolas describes the scene of Micah and Dana sitting outside of the hospital after her doctor revealed the news that her brain tumor would be fatal. Dana had been living with this brain tumor for the past six years and it was continuously improving until the next CAT scan. This passage captures the essence of the emotion in this news. The world is oblivious to their suffering as they continue on with their lives. Nicolas is getting at how people are so caught up in their own lives that they do not notice what is right in front of them. For Dana, all she can think about is how much time she has left.

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October 24th, 2016

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"I understood his point, but at the same time, it felt...callous. It was like trying to choose between my dreams for the future and respect for my father" (285).
Definition: showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.
After bullying the younger kids on the playground, the boy had a callous attitude towards the teachers as they tried to reprimand him for his actions.

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"Simply to hear the sound of his voice, his voice-no screams, no grunts, no shouts-was breathtaking. It was the sound of angels, as sweet as music. But more than that, I suddenly knew that Ryan could learn" (292).

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"Simply to hear the sound of his voice, his voice-no screams, no grunts, no shouts-was breathtaking. It was the sound of angels, as sweet as music. But more than that, I suddenly knew that Ryan could learn" (292).

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The novel continues to grow deeper into a spiral of horrific events. As for this passage, Nicolas is describing the moment he heard his autistic son of four years old speak his first word. After six whole hours of trying to get him to say the word "apple", he did it. The audience can feel the emotions tied into these words from the exhaustion, relief, and amazement of what had just occurred. Even though he has had a tough life, he continues to power through with motivation and will never give up. If it takes hours for Ryan to learn one word, so be it. Nicolas is showing his resillence for life just in this one passage.

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October 19th, 2016

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"Meanwhile, Micah and I were staring out the windows with our mouths agape. People were everywhere...The poverty struck us forcefully" (242).
Definition: (of the mouth) wide open, especially with surprise or wonder.
The spectators were left with their mouths agape as the President strolled into the arena with other political figures following close behind him.

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"Not only was my sister seriously jeopardizing her health- a worry that would plague us over the next seven months- but well on her way to becoming a single mother. We soon found out that she was expecting twins" (256). 

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"Not only was my sister seriously jeopardizing her health- a worry that would plague us over the next seven months- but well on her way to becoming a single mother. We soon found out that she was expecting twins" (256). 

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This passage bundles up several pages and answers many questions that were prosed earlier in the novel. Dana did end up having a serious health problem, a brain tumor. The doctor had told her that she would never be able to have kids because of the medicine she was taking, but obviously that did not stop her. She had just announced that she had broken up with her boyfriend and planned to raise twins. Previously, Dana had revealed that the only thing she wanted out of life was to have children and a family and she sure was assiduous in making that work out perfectly.

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October 15th, 2016

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"When Cathy and I went out in the evenings with him, we would always wonder who he'd bring along this time. Most of the women barely knew him, yet they seemed as enamored of him as I was with Cathy" (226).
Definition: be filled with a feeling of love for.
The bride was clearly enamored by the thought of him as she glided down the isle towards her soon to be husband.

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"Dana arrived an hour after Micah did, and had to be supported as she moved down the hallway toward us. She was wailing; hers were the tears of someone not only losing a mother, but her best friend as well" (214).

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"Dana arrived an hour after Micah did, and had to be supported as she moved down the hallway toward us. She was wailing; hers were the tears of someone not only losing a mother, but her best friend as well" (214).

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This was a very emotional scene as Nicolas describes the experience of being in the hospital with his family as his mother passed away after a fatal horse accident. He explains how he felt his sister's pain from not just losing their mother but her friendship, love and advice along with her. He would soon admit that he would regret not being able to say goodbye to her when she was still conscious to appreciate the moment. This allows the reader to get a perspective on the pain of the event and the close relationship that the siblings had all shared with their mother.

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October 12th, 2016

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"When they decided to join us the following morning...Cathy replied, 'Oh, hey, I'm Cathy. I didn't meet you last night, did I?'... Despite the ego brushing, I wasn't about to be deterred" (190).
Definition: discourage (someone) from doing something.
The doctor deterred the patient from taking more medicine than necessary in order to prevent more damage.

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"I had no idea who I was, what I wanted to do, or where my future would lead. I'd always believed that because I'd followed the rules the world would beat a path to my doorstep. But the world didn't seem to care at all" (193). 

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"I had no idea who I was, what I wanted to do, or where my future would lead. I'd always believed that because I'd followed the rules the world would beat a path to my doorstep. But the world didn't seem to care at all" (193). 

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Nicolas lets down his guard as he admits to the reader that he failed many times. He did not always know what he wanted to do in the future nor did he find out into many years later. A couple pages later would he describe the horrible event of his forty-seven year old mother passing after a dreadful horse accident. Nicolas explains how devastated he was and that the world can seem unfair for a little while. Life will prevent you with obstacles but it is how you overcome them that is the true test and shows who you really are.

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October 10th, 2016

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"The thought saddened us. While Easter Island had been austere and lovely in its own way, the difference between the islands was staggering" (152).
Definition: having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance; unadorned.
The office had an austere look as the businessmen exited the annual conference with uniforms of black and white attire and complexion.

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October 5th, 2016

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"I admired his ability to simply live, without having to achieve...Maybe I should try to have more fun, a voice would whisper inside me, but every time I heard it, I forced myself to push the voice away" (169). 

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"I admired his ability to simply live, without having to achieve...Maybe I should try to have more fun, a voice would whisper inside me, but every time I heard it, I forced myself to push the voice away" (169). 

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This passage was a great example of Nicolas's inner tensions and conflicts as he fights between the outer expectations and his own inner goals. Nicolas is referencing his older brother's, Micah, ability to live the life that Nicolas is so afraid to embrace. He has slid into a path of high achievement for personal gain and wanting attention from his busy parents. This voice seems to make an appearance once and a while for Nicolas as he continues to fight his desires and goals. This shows the difference in personality and views of Nicolas and Micah where one enjoys and embraces life experience while one puts them off for the future.

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"I couldn't help but think that had my mother been given Sophie's choice, I would have been the one sacrificed to save the other two...I began to notice those moments with ever increasing acuity" (123).
Definition: sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing.
After she returned from her spa treatment, her acuity of her senses heightened from the natural scents and relaxation atmosphere of the center.

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"They didn't push her to work harder, nor did they help her with her studies, nor did they mind if she brought home poor grades, the reason yet again being, 'She's a girl'" (123). 

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"They didn't push her to work harder, nor did they help her with her studies, nor did they mind if she brought home poor grades, the reason yet again being, 'She's a girl'" (123). 

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This topic was mention multiples times throughout the memoir as the author intentional puts a red flag up for the audience to catch on to. The first time reading this could lead to a misconception of the mom and daughter as special treatment. However, after seeing it many times it makes me wonder that there is a deeper reason behind why she is getting this special attention and privileges. Earlier in the book, he mentions how they rarely went to the doctor except the time that his sister went to the hospital for a serious throat issue. I think that the sister is hiding a serious medical issue from her brothers that she is putting up a strong face for and which explains this statement.

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October 3rd, 2016

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"The place was more a run-down rest stop than an actual town. It was hot as blazes with only a handful of decrepit buildings lining the highway in either direction, and not a stitch of shade" (108).
Definition: worn out or ruined because of age or neglect.
The decrepit ancient Mayan city was almost unnoticeable as it hid under the forest of trees and bushes of almost a thousand years.

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"Just three little kids on the side of a highway, holding each other and crying, trying to understand why terrible things happened" (109). 

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"Just three little kids on the side of a highway, holding each other and crying, trying to understand why terrible things happened" (109). 

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The sentence follows a description of the children witnessing a dog they had just met, get hit by a car right in front of them. This scene stood out to me immediately as it pulled at my heart strings on a personal level. This summarizes just one of many hardships that had presented themselves during his childhood. With in a matter of years, the boys had numerous tragedies that most people wouldn't even experience in their lifetime. This would later effect there relationship of the siblings as they learn to trust and rely on each other during the hard points in life.

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September 28th, 2016

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"He viewed the move as a new adventure, made friends easily, and carried himself with a confidence that I found elusive" (64-65).
Definition: difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
My thoughts of what I was going to grab in the room became elusive as my phone began to ring with the sound of a waterfall.

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"Dreams are always crushing when they don't come true. But it's the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You're always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold, and it's enough to break your heart" (86). 

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"Dreams are always crushing when they don't come true. But it's the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You're always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold, and it's enough to break your heart" (86). 

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In this passage, Nicolas is referring to his mothers emotional state as she admits that she wishes she could provide a better life for her family. This was an interesting passage because it allowed the reader to see a different side of the mother and her want for a simpler life. He explains how, like his mom, dreams do not have to be big an unrealistic to be real and meaningful. This applies throughout the book so far as Nicolas struggles with deciding between his personal dreams and his family goals.

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September 27th, 2016

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"This, of course, made us see our father in a completely different light, a new and exciting light, and I must say that when I got back to school, I wasn't reticent in sharing this information with others in my class" (39).
Definition: not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.
When the suspect was brought in for the interview, he was very reticent on the information he shared that would make him look guilty.

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"I like to think of life in terms of a stream, rapids, and waterfall...you hear the roar of the waterfall, and you convince yourself that your only option is to paddle even harder...It's a life without any sort of balance, and in the long run the waterfall will eventually take you" (31). 

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"I like to think of life in terms of a stream, rapids, and waterfall...you hear the roar of the waterfall, and you convince yourself that your only option is to paddle even harder...It's a life without any sort of balance, and in the long run the waterfall will eventually take you" (31). 

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This section was one of the more capturing passage as he dives deep into a more figurative description of his life and life in general. He sectors off three parts of life; drifting along, taking on enough to challenge you, and being overwhelmed with the sense that the waterfall of disaster is near. He makes a point to the reader that being in this last state of fear of all of the anxiety and stress that could happen is what actually is harmful. In order to avoid this one needs balance in life activities including emotional, mental and physical states.

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September 21, 2016

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Short Bio of yourself - 60-100 words; why did you choose this particular book?

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Short Bio of yourself - 60-100 words; why did you choose this particular book?

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I decided to choose this both after my mom had recommended it. This book is a memoir which is something I have never read before, but after reading the first few pages about Nicolas's Sparks life I was hooked. I have not watched many of the movies he has created, but what caught my attention was his surprisingly interesting childhood that led him to being so famous. This book dives deep into the inner motivations and emotions that effected him so much as a child with the diverging yet crossing paths of his older brother, Micah.

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"Not my brother. No, his thinking went like this: 'I'm going to run far away, and since I'm always supposed to take care of my brother and sister, then I guess I have to take them with me'"(16).

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"Not my brother. No, his thinking went like this: 'I'm going to run far away, and since I'm always supposed to take care of my brother and sister, then I guess I have to take them with me'"(16).

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This passage not only summarizes Micah's, Nicolas's brother, thoughts and responsibilities at young age three and a half, but is a foreshadow into how this mindset will effect his brotherhood relationship as an adult. Micah's desires and take-charge personality might conflict with the loaded responsibility of protecting and taking care of his family. Micah will and often is forced to step around the rules in order achieve his goals.

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"My wife gets tired of my traveling. She understands it's part of my job, but doesn't mean that she likes it. Thus, my question was a fraught one" (8).
Definition: causing or affected by great anxiety or stress.
As the wedding preceded, there was a fraught entrance of the bride as she continued to stumble upon her gown.

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September 20, 2016

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DUE DATES:
9/23 pg 1-60
9/30 pg 60-120
10/7 pg. 120-180
10/14 pg. 180-240
10/21 pg. 240-300
10/28 pg. 300-349