Dear John is a three part book that starts out with 23 year-old John Tyree, an army enlistee.
The Prologue starts of with the ultimate question, "What does it mean to truly love another?" John Tyree watches as he relives every memory, emotion, and touch while falling in love with Savannah Lynn Curtis.
Part I John as a little kid struggled with finding the balance between himself and his father. While on leave from the Army, he meets Savannah. She goes to UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina and is in Wilmington, NC to work for Habitat for Humanity. They become quick friends after John dives into deep ocean water in order to retrieve her fallen purse. At a bonfire, with wild college students, John meets Savannah's friend Tim Wheddon. John quickly learns of how inviting and mature Savannah and Tim really are. After the initial meet, John and Savannah meet again at the beach where he teaches her to surf. They then quickly more than just friends. At the end of John's leave, Savannah meets with him at the pier. She mentions that she thinks John's distant father has Asperger's. Asperger is a developmental disorder which would explain why John's dad is distant, has the same exact schedule and conversation everyday, and is fairly only interested in his gigantic coin collection. After having this conversation, John quickly gets mad and accidently hits Tim right in the nose, breaking it himself. Savannah and Tim forgive John for what he did. Before he departs, he promises Savannah he'll marry her when he completes his deployment.
Part II, John comes home on leave and him and Savannah spend a very close night together while at one of the empty project houses for Habit for Humanity. Savannah writes him a letter, beginning with Dear John, that promises her love to him. John is very excited to come home to Savannah; however, due to 9/11, John feels the duty to reenlist in the Army. After years away from each other, Savannah writes John another letter. It starts with Dear John and ends with good-bye.
