The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson is in trouble. Ninety-one years old and stranded and injured after a car crash, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together.

A few miles away, Wake Forest College senior Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward — even life and death - loom large in everyday life. 

Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys.  (excerpt from publisher's blurb)

It took me a ridiculously long time to read this book because I kept convincing myself I didn't like it and laying it aside.  It moves too slow . . . (pause) . . . cliche college students . . . (pause) . . . ugh - WWII . . . (pause) . . . Why, oh why, is he telling me all this?  . . . (pause) . . . oh . . . OH . . Now, I get it.  Hmmm, this is a good story.  So, my review is:  This is a book by Nicholas Sparks.  Trust him - he's got some talent.  Even when your brain is saying you don't like this book - you're gonna like this book!