The Longest Ride

By: Nicholas Sparks

Narrated by: Ron McLarty, January LaVoy

Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Romance, 2014

Ira Levinson is in trouble. At 91 years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus 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 - how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local rodeo, a Wake Forest College senior's life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. 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. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans - a future that Luke has the power to rewrite... if the secret he's keeping doesn't destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. 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: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

©2013 Nicholas Sparks (P)2013 Hachette Audio

fantastic listen

yet anuthr gr8 Nicolas Sparks creation.... fantastic twist at th end!!!
can't wait to get to anthr of his books!!!

my 1st Nicholas Sparks audio book

Although I started reading the book a few years ago... As did my grandmother whose name was also Ruth. My hopes was that we would both read the book and when it was available be able on DVD we would watch it together. Both of us huge fans of Nicholas Sparks. Unfortunately she passed away prior to me finishing the book. Life happened and soon I was back in a Registered nursing school program . I lost all time for personal reading so I never got to finish. I have since graduated and this has been a pleasure to be able to listen while finishing many home improvement projects. I now can absolutely look forward to watching it on DVD. I look forward to my next Nicholas Sparks audiobook! I truly regret not finding audible a lot sooner!! Thank you.

Usual good read

Sparks usual good book. Narration was very good. Easy to listen. Kept my interest from beginning to end

Great story

This was a great audio version of this book. All the characters were amazing

Stick with the Ira and Ruth story. It will all come together in the end

great story. love nicholas sparks great author.

love nicholas sparks look forward to many more books to come thank you. again great story.

One of My Favorite Nicholas Sparks Books

The Longest Ride is one of my favorite Nicholas Sparks books. I've read the story and watched the movie multiple times through the years, but this was my first time listening to the audiobook. At over 13 hours, The Longest Ride is a longer audiobook, but those hours pass very quickly once you get pulled into the story.

The narration by Ron McLarty and January LaVoy is very well done. They didn't make me feel like I was being read to. Instead, I felt like I was watching a movie in my head. One of my favorite things about The Longest Ride is the dual romances of Ira and Ruth in the past and Luke and Sophia in the present. The narrators were perfect for telling the two different romances happening in two different time periods.

The only thing I didn't like about the audiobook is the tones that sound when switching from Ira/Ruth to Luke/Sophia. At the start of the book the tone plays for too long in my opinion. It is useful throughout the story for keeping track of which story line the next chapter is following, but I wish they had chosen a different tone to play.

If you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks books and audiobooks, then I highly recommend The Longest Ride audiobook. It helped me pass a few days at work quickly.

A genuine love story

Two love stories of couples generations apart come together to show the reader that dreams do come true.

This is an amazing book full of truths. Inspiring!!!

This book shines a light and a ray of hope in an otherwise dark world. It speaks of the reality of getting older and living with past memories as well as young love struggling to find it’s path to the future.

Past meets present

Excellent! 2 separate storylines and how they eventually converge. Love stories, heartache, obstacles to overcome. Love Nicholas sparks books. Very interesting read. Highly recommend it!

Better than I expected

I wasn't so sure about this one, it was on sale so I decided to go for it. Glad I did, I really enjoyed this book by Sparks. I finished in about 2 days. I couldn't stop listening to it.