The Longest Ride by
Nicholas Sparks
My rating:
2 of 5 stars
I found it irritating how they kept switching between Ira and Ruth's story and Luke and Sophia's story. I would have preferred them telling Ira and Ruth's story first ending with the car wreck and then pick up with Luke and Sophia's story.
Ira and Ruth fell and love and married. Due to contracting the Mumps when he was serving in WWII Ira was unable to Father children. To replace the children they never had they began buying art during the summer vacations (unknown at the time artist). Now Ruth is dead and Ira is left alone with the art collection which is now worth millions as the unknown artist are now famous. But Ira's most treasured art piece is a painting done by a young boy Ruth tutored and they had hoped to adopt before he disappeared. In his will he specified that this painting be auctioned off FIRST.
Luke was injured during a bull ride and the medical bills have he and his Mother in danger of losing their ranch. The only way to save the ranch is for him to continue to ride, but riding bulls could very well cost him his life as the metal plate protecting his skull is fragile. He has also fallen heavily for a young art student Sophia, and her pleas for him not to ride and risk his life weigh heavily on him. He finally decides to stop riding and resigns himself to losing the ranch.
He and Sophia find Ira's car wreck and help get him to the hospital. While he is there Sophia honors Ira's request and reads his letter to Ruth which she and Luke find very touching. Sadly Ira never recovers from his injuries and dies in the hospital. Later Luke and Sophia are attending the auction Ira arranged and when nobody bids on the portrait of Ruth, Luke does. Which to the other attendees dismay means he just inherited the entire collection.
Now extremely wealthy Luke pays off the loan on the ranch and he and Sophia make plans for their future.
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