When John met Savannah, he knew he was ready to turn over a new leaf. Always the angry rebel, he had dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life. Then he meets Savannah. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty.

What neither realises is that 9/11 will change everything, prompting John to re-enlist and fulfil what he feels is his duty to his country and fellow soldiers. And, sadly, as so often happens when lovers are young and separations are long, Savannah falls in love with someone else. 'Dear John ... ' the letter reads, and both their lives are changed for ever.

Years later, when John returns to North Carolina, he must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still the only one for him. Now John must make the hardest decision of his life ...
　　约翰23岁时，高中毕业便不再升学，终日不知所以地换了一份又一份工作，惶惶然地在酒吧饮酒作乐度过，恋情不断却未见真爱。直到有一天，他毅然投效军旅，并于放假回家时，在家乡的艳阳下、沙滩上，偶然结识正值花样年华的莎文娜。21岁的莎文娜，成长背景与约翰相去甚远，不同于约翰的放浪形骸...