The Sunflower

A Novel

By: Richard Paul Evans

Narrated by: Campbell Scott

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Just a week before their marriage, Christine's fiance calls off the wedding, leaving her heartbroken. With hopes of helping her through a difficult time, Christine's best friend Jessica enrolls them both on a humanitarian mission in Peru, to work at an orphanage called El Girasol, The Sunflower.

It is while working at the orphanage that Christine meets Paul Cook, a successful and charismatic American doctor who has fled the States after one fatal day took away his career, his faith, and the woman he loved.

Unplanned events lead Paul and Christine into the jungle of the Amazon, where Christine must confront her deepest fears, and she, and Paul, must both learn to trust and love again.

©2005 Richard Paul Evans (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Clean love story

Finished in one day that I was forgetting time. It's not just a love story, but makes you think what value or faith we should hold on in life. Great narrator, too.

This book is so worth it!

Loved it!! My family really liked this story, it was wonderful! this book is worth it!

Another winner

I love Richard Paul Evan's books. Every one is a work of art. The Walk series is incredible.

Sweeter Than Expected

This is such a treasure of a story, and Campbell Scott has become one of my most favorite narrators. The story takes you from Dayton Ohio to Peru - and by the end, you feel as though you've been there yourself. The descriptions of people, environments, scenery etc. is perfect - enough to paint a picture in your mind, but not ever tedious.

Campbell Scott has such a gentle voice as the narrator, and switches voices from character to character with such subtlety, that you easily recognize who's speaking, but are not jarred from a pleasant listening experience. He also is able to do female voices without sounding lame - and when a character speaks in the native tongue of Peru (some Spanish and possibly some words in Quechuan or Aymaran) he does it effortlessly and beautifully.

The story itself is not only about Christine's journey to Peru, but also her journey in stepping way outside her comfort zone, reaching out & caring for others instead of just being miserable about being dumped 1 week before her wedding, and experiencing love in it's many forms along the way. There are extremely tender moments as she spends time with the orphans at The Sunflower as well as humorous moments with her friend Jessica and the miscellaneous creatures (geikos, spiders, piranhas & crocodiles) they get to experience while in Peru.

Watching the friendship and love that develops between Christine and Paul is like enjoying a perfect 10 course meal, bite by bite. It's very slow, very rich, very satisfying yet makes you crave for more. Paul is such a gentleman - thoughtful, knowledgeable, respectful & caring - yet he's also quite the hero.

What's also refreshing about this story is that there are no villians trying to keep these two apart. They are like real people with real histories and real fears that can trip them up along the way, but of course, they do have an HEA.

This is the only book in my audio library (of about 50) that I have listened to repeatedly. That's how much I love the story and enjoy the narrator. I hope you do too.

wonderful love story

Once in a while I enjoy reading / listening to one of Evans's books. This one was no exception: A simple but heart-warming story with likeable characters, interesting settings and a good pace.
The narration is excellent.

Unexpected

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't a National Geographic narrative, but I liked it. It's different than anything I've heard/read before, although I wouldn't care to hear it again. It was informative, and touching, but maybe a little too much realism-- the world is sadly in a degenerative state, but thankfully there are people making a difference. I think I would have preferred to read this one on my own, although the Narrator had a nice, easy voice to listen to.

typical Hallmark type love story, predictable and

This is a typical Hallmark type love story, predictable, enjoyable. and inspiring. Peru jungle setting.

Beautiful Story

I loved this beautiful story. Both main characters worked their way through pain and found there way back to love by giving of themselves to help those less fortunate.

Always good!

Love all of RPE’s books, and this one is no exception. Set in Peru, the story unfolds in an orphanage near Machu Picchu. Very well written.

Fabulous

I really enjoyed this book. It has soul. And finally I found a really good novel that isn't R rated. I get so tired of those types of books. I highly recommend this one!