Two decades on, The Notebook starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams remains the best Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Discover the true story that inspired this evergreen romance.

A still from The Notebook – ( YouTube/ Extended Trailer – Warner.Bros)

All the Gen Z kids, it’s time to indulge in some throwback memories and nostalgia. Remember the rom-com The Notebook that made audiences go gaga, sparking a pursuit to find love and grow old together just like the lead couple? It’s been two decades since that movie! Starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, it remains the best Nicholas Sparks adaptation to date.

Earning over $116 million worldwide, the film’s long-term success and fanbase have been undeniable. However, very few may know that the film is based on a true story. Sparks’ ex-wife, Cathy, introduced him to a real-life couple who served as inspiration for the writing. According to a statement from Sparks on his official website, the author drew inspiration for the novel after visiting his ex-wife Cathy’s grandparents.

What is The Notebook’s plot?

To begin with, the book and the onscreen version follow Noah (James Garner), an elderly man whose life’s mission is to tell his wife, Allie (Gena Rowlands), their love story over and over again in the hopes that she might remember it.

Each day, he visited her and opened his notebook, persuading Allie to listen as he recounted their love story from beginning to end. Through flashbacks, viewers and readers discover how the couple (portrayed by Gosling and McAdams in their younger years) first met and sustained their relationship over time, despite numerous challenges.

They faced obstacles such as parental disapproval and Allie’s engagement to another man (James Marsden), leading to a long separation. Eventually, Allie saw Noah’s photo in the newspaper and decided to visit him.

How much of The Notebook is a true story? 

Although Nicholas Sparks mentioned that the tender and caring relationship between Noah and Allie in The Notebook was inspired by his ex-wife’s grandparents, he never clarified which parts of the novel were fictional and which were based on real events. However, he did provide more insights into his writing process.

In a 2014 interview on The Meredith Vieira Show, Sparks shared that The Notebook was his third attempt at penning a novel and he had decided to quit writing if this effort failed.

At that time, he was working in sales and helping his then-wife raise their two children, with their youngest being only eight months old. Instead of spending his evenings watching TV while waiting for the baby to wake up, Sparks dedicated this time to writing.

After six months of diligent work, he sent the completed manuscript of The Notebook to an agent and received a response within days. Warner Books subsequently purchased the publishing rights for over one million dollars.