Ah, spring. The frogs are croaking, the birds are chirping, and our thoughts turn to romance. There’s nothing like young love in the springtime, whether you’re experiencing it for the first time or remembering it fondly. Recently the library’s Teen Lit for Grownups book club read a terrific book called The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. It’s the story of two young people of different backgrounds who run into each other in New York City and discover that maybe, just maybe, they are meant for each other – but one of them is scheduled to be deported that night. It’s a beautiful exploration of two people getting to know one another and experiencing their own transformations as a result.
This got m
e to thinking about other stories of young love that happen in 24 hours. Another good young adult book with this premise is The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, where two teens meet in an airport lounge and spend one fateful transatlantic flight together. And of course there’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist – book or movie, take your pick. All deal with those eternal questions of fate, coincidence, and whether you can know in 24 hours whether you’ve met The One.
I couldn’t finish this post without mentioning one of my favorite movies of all time: Before Sunrise, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. The two meet on a train in Europe and spend a magical night exploring Vienna before parting ways and agreeing to meet in the same spot in six months. It’s an intelligent, sensitive portrayal of how one encounter can change the course of a life.
I’m not sure what’s so compelling about these stories. I think it’s the limited time that the characters have together, and the suspense of not knowing if things will work out in the long run. Do you have any 24-hour love stories to share?
Categories: Books and More
