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Cover of The Rescue by Nicholas SparksThe Rescue
Modern · Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

The Rescue

by Nicholas Sparks
2000 · 464 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 12 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Denise Holton, a single mother, is driving through a storm in North Carolina with her four-year-old son Kyle, who has a language disorder and barely speaks, when she crashes. When she comes to, Kyle is gone. Taylor McAden, a volunteer firefighter, leads the search, and afterward he becomes part of their lives, though something in his past makes him afraid to stay.

Why it's worth reading

It was a #1 New York Times bestseller. It's a gentle, hopeful Sparks romance about a mother's devotion and a man learning to let himself be loved.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's a quick read. Fire and danger feature in the climax.

By the numbers

75.0Must-Read Score
  • Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller64 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)One of the ten best-selling books of 2000 (Publishers Weekly)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

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Quick answers

Is The Rescue worth reading?

Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller. It ranks #793 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.0 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Rescue about?

Denise Holton, a single mother, is driving through a storm in North Carolina with her four-year-old son Kyle, who has a language disorder and barely speaks, when she crashes. When she comes to, Kyle is gone. Taylor McAden, a volunteer firefighter, leads the search, and afterward he becomes part of their lives, though something in his past makes him afraid to stay.

How long does it take to read The Rescue?

About 12 hours (464 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Rescue?

If you liked it, try The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks, The Wish by Nicholas Sparks or The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.