What is the inspiration for this book? Is it based to any extent on your own experiences or the experiences of those you know?

The Notebook was originally inspired by the story of my wife's grandparents. They had a truly magical relationship, one that withstood the test of time and circumstance. When I first met them, they had been married over sixty years and I remember marveling at how much they still seemed to care for each other. The Notebook attempts to describe such a love.

That said, The Notebook is a novel, not a memoir. Many changes were made regarding their story, in order to make the novel more universal, while staying committed to my original intent.