To Leave a Memory

by Pat Dunlap Evans

If you like stories that bring a smile and a tear, join a crotchety professor, his psychic wife, tech-guru daughter, clever grandchildren, and loyal best friends on a year-long journey to overcome a past tragedy. As in any family story, there's laughter and love between the troubled times. In fact, the clever dialogue, surprising humor, and poignant ending will make you feel as if though the Andrew Ward family is just like your own.

Editorial Praise for To Leave a Memory

"A warm portrait of a family coming together to forgive ... the colorful dialogue keeps the story moving ... There's a pleasing amount of healthy talk about sex ... Forgiveness comes in moments sentimental but tender, and even Andrew Ward's post-stroke syntax has a chance to shine."
— Kirkus Reviews

"You've written a wonderful story. By the end, the characters become like family to the reader."
— Jean Jenkins, Editor, San Diego

"Debut author, Pat Dunlap Evans has written a poignant literary novel that explores an ordinary couple's enduring relationship years after a family tragedy. The story is told from the point of view of both the husband and wife who are reminiscent of Henry and Olive in Pulitzer prize winning Elizabeth Stout's novel, Olive Kitteridge. The writing is crisp and the ending takes a surprising turn."
— Lara Reznik, best-selling Amazon author of The Girl From Long Guyland

To Leave a Memory — What's it About?

When history professor Andrew Ward ignores his wife Lizzy's premonition that something will happen if he allows their son to go out one stormy night, tragedy strikes. Andrew is too anguished to admit he was wrong and, over the years, he and Lizzy drift into avoidance.

Forgotten in the marital divide, young daughter Jane can't forgive her brother's death. Nor can Andrew's brother Thomas, an arrogant millionaire and a perpetual prickle in Andrew's side.

When Lizzy decides to leave, Jane — who is now a tech guru and mother of three — urges her mother to repair her marriage. But Lizzy's best friend Ouisie, a strong-willed Black American, encourages Lizzy to go her own way. While Lizzy tries to make up her mind, Andrew hides in his office, trying to write a grand apologia to atone for his heartbreaking error. But when a second tragedy strikes, each family member faces a choice that no one wants to make. And Andrew must find the way to atone and leave a memory.

Genres: Fiction, Drama, Family

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2015

About the author

Pat Dunlap Evans was born in Michigan but at age two, her family moved to San Antonio and later Dallas, Texas, where she was an age-group swimming champ. At South Oak Cliff High School, Pat was a high-kicking officer in the renowned Golden Debs drill team, typed copy as co-editor of the school newspaper, and won a scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University.

An early marriage and the birth of three children plunged Pat into the world of motherhood, until the kids were mature enough for her to complete her bachelor's and master's degrees in English at University of Missouri, Kansas City. The latter degree offered an emphasis in creative writing, putting Pat on her way to novel writing.

Pat's first husband was a quarterback with the SuperBowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs. She used her experiences as an NFL wife for background in the novel Out and In: a mystery-thriller. After the long marriage ended, Pat stressed her way as a single mom through a career in advertising, PR, and marketing posts in Dallas and Austin. A second marriage to Dr. Bill Evans of Austin enabled Pat to focus on her true love of writing.

Pat has published three novels, To Leave a Memory: a warm coming together; Out and In: a mystery-thriller, and Backstory: behind the scenes of a famous film-thriller. A sequel to Out and In releases in 2024. Titled Ice and Fire, the mystery is set on the Big Island of Hawaii, where Pat and Bill resided for three years. The pair recently returned to the Mainland, choosing Las Vegas, Nevada, as their new home.

Please follow Pat on Goodreads or her website to discover discounts, upcoming releases, or her latest rants and raves on her blog. If you enjoyed this novel, Pat requests your rating on Amazon and Goodreads.com. No book report needed. Simply leave as many stars as you like.

To contact the author, see patdunlapevans.com

Reviews

[Liz Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reading heart warming down to earth real people with real life happening

Touches the heart brings many memories to mind from my own life experiences good ending feel at peace when story is finished

[Joyce Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my husband and I decide to take a long road trip, the first thing I do is find a good book as I enjoy reading aloud for my husband to enjoy too. On our latest trip, I chose “To Leave A Memory,” which promised to be a heartwarming story of a family’s struggle to overcome a devastating tragedy. Lizzy and Andrew’s marriage was becoming stagnant and she is considering leaving her husband, especially since she never forgave him for the car crash that took the life of their son, 30 years ago. The story is charged with countless emotions, including graphic flashbacks to Andrew’s youth where we enjoy the humorous, although oftentimes malicious, accounts of his older mean brother and younger sister. When Andrew has a stroke, Lizzy is faced with the possibility of his death and realizes that she may still be in love with him.

Lizzy subtly helps us to recognize that forgiveness is a healthy life choice and that unforgiven sadness can make you physically and emotionally sick, to the point of rocking the foundation of your marriage or relationship. It’s so easy to blame others for things that transpire in our life, but quite often the real truth is that by not forgiving them and moving forward with our life, our low self-esteem blossoms instead of focusing on healing.

There is a lot of humor and healthy talk about sex, especially from Andrew as he recovers from his stroke. We often found ourselves laughing out loud at some of the well-timed and unprecedented ‘naughty’ words and jokes of a sexual nature. The story moves along quickly and all-in-all it is a very lovable story of growing up and how the family endeavors to come together to forgive. We found ourselves unable to put the book down; it was a most gratifying, adult read and we look forward to more books from this author.

[Aarti Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I like about Pat's book is how it tackles one of the big inner conflicts many people face: whether to say "it" out loud or not. "It" can be the blame you feel toward someone, the apology you wish you could express, regret at how things turned out, or just a "how are you doing?" after a change happens in life. It can also be the appreciation you feel deep down for someone. Andrew, Lizzy, and Jane are all well developed characters in the book who face different angles of this struggle within their family after a tragedy hits. We see how not expressing feelings has long-lasting repercussions for each character.

During the slowly building drama, the characters learn how to say what's never been said to each other and to themselves. I like how the gravity of the plot is balanced by some humor and lighter moments. Only a couple minor points of critique: I wished during the early and middle parts of the story that there were more glimpses of compassion for what Andrew had been through. Also, just visually I thought the cover text color could be made easier to read and the design more fitting for the book's tone. Overall, the story really held my attention and has a good ending.

[Debra Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. This is my honest opinion of: To Leave a Memory, by Pat Dunlap Evans.
THIS IS AN EMOTIONALLY COMPLEX NOVEL THAT IS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-WRITTEN! TO LEAVE A MEMORY: SHOULD BE ON EVERY BESTSELLER LIST IN THE USA. I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS STORY....
This is an incredibly difficult novel for me to review, because, I have also lived through the loss of a child. However, it was inspirational for me, also. The family in this story mimics the same feelings that our own family went through. It's gratifying to know that the way you feel is normal; loss doesn't mean that love dies with that loss....it doesn't! The characters in this novel are so true to real life, and you will really become attached to them, as I did. You must read this novel. It is filled with more laughter and joy than sorrow! I applaud Evans for having written this challenging book. I am really looking forward to reading her next novel: Ice and Fire.

[Callitia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from a goodreads giveaway for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The story line is wonderful. An older couple that has been haunted by the most tragic event... the loss of a child and how they cope is at the center of this narrative. Other stories intertwine: the remaining daughter and her relationship with her parents and husband and own children, the memories of a childhood and Andrew's relationship with his parents and siblings.

When Andrew suffers a debilitating stroke... before he finishes his "novel" and chance to apologize to his wife and daughter...

The ending, or last letter from Andrew sums up the entire book. A very memorable book, that I will think about for some time. I plan on passing this book on to other people so they can experience its life lessons....

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about a family and how they survive a horrible tragedy made by a wrong decision. The characters are a cranky old husband/father, a sort of psychic wife/mother (I loved her), their daughter and three funny grandchildren. The story is about forgiving and coming back to where you belong. I cried and I laughed out loud. I think this would make a great movie and I want Meryl Streep to play Lizzy.

[Stacey Roberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. What a tender story about a family all marked by the tragic death of a son/brother at age 18. I really enjoyed the writing style and character development. This book will have you laughing and crying as the story unfolds.
Thank you to the author for a chance to read this wonderful book.

[Nancy Joseph Petermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a very good read. The characters were well developed and easy to follow. This could of been read in a couple of days if I had had the time, since the story was so well written and kept my full attention. The very last "letter" brought tears to my eyes, and sent me on my own journey of remembrance. Thank you for that.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing my Memories!

I almost didn’t download this beautiful heartwarming, amusing novel. Would have been my loss; once started couldn’t put it down. Loved all the characters and characters they are! Found myself chuckling at Andrew and Litzy! What a ride!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Made me laugh and cry and left me with a warm feeling.

[DebbieMike Lofland · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an awesome book! She is an amazing author! I highly recommend this book! A must read for sure!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really cared about the family. Interesting and believable characters.

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming family story, but it seems to me it lacked the true character development that would have made it an outstanding story. While all the pieces fit together, they didn't seem to be to add up to a coherent whole. I'm not sad I read it, but I didn't put it down thinking "Wow. What a great piece." It seem to lack a tie of any kind.

There were a few word misuse cases, probably most notable to me because this was the third book in a row - different genres and different authors - I've read with serious errors of this type.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uuuugh I probably should not have read this book scarcely a month after my mother had a stroke and passed away. But I loved it. Andrew was an unabashed shit. In the end it all came down to love. I enjoyed Andrew's character development, and Lizzie's. The ending was fantastic and I probably would have ugly cried had I not been on my lunch hour. Loved, loved, loved it.

[Jean Hagan hennagin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that you wished had a prequel and a sequel? That’s how I feel about To Leave a Memory. It’s a family drama, with humor thrown in, about an older couple questioning their marriage as a result of failing to deal with a family tragedy many years earlier. I wanted to know more about the couple’s, Andrew and Lizzy’s, lives before the tragedy. Were they happy together? How different would their marriage have been if they faced the tragedy together rather than apart? In the book we get a glimpse of Andrew’s childhood. What about Lizzy’s? And what becomes of Lizzy at the end of the book? Does she reconcile with the past and move forward happily? These characters were so realistically drawn that I became a part of them and them of me and wanted to know so much more about them.
The other interesting aspect of To Leave a Memory is how the scenes were so believable and detailed; so easily pictured in your mind that it could lend itself to a screenplay. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.

[Sharon Heaverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received TO LEAVE A MEMORY in a Goodreads Giveaway. This was a surprisingly good read. The book begins with a tragedy that affects the family members in different ways. The book exposes the feelings of all members but unfortunately, they don't always share those feelings with the ones that could make a difference. The story is realistic and I am sure many families deal with their tragedies in much the same way. The book will find you laughing and crying often throughout. A good story. From tragedy comes forgiveness.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories

This story addresses the inner writer in all of us. I connected with the characters each on a different level; they were so real that I expect to walk out my door and see one of them in the local grocery. The story itself is an easy read, yet gives plenty of food for thought. It never quite left my thoughts, even when I put it down for the night. Adult readers of all ages will find something of interest in this book.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. Wow

All I can say is this is a wonderful, tough, emotional journey through the characters lives, but also, I bet your own.

Pat Dunlap Evans is amazingly talented in maneuvering between memories, present time, and characters. I am sure you’ll find yourself in this book. Something will resonate and grab you, and you’ll have an ah ha moment. By the end, something will be healed in you.

A must read. Amazing.

[Reed L Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. I laughed, cried, the whole wide range of emotions. It kept me wanting to know more about the characters. THIS SHOULD BE A MOVIE!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Got into the characters immediately. Very cleverly written. Would highly recommend it.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful surprise , their was so much going on you couldn't put the book down for fear you would've missed something. Will be looking forward to her next book.

[Marilyn Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming story of a dysfunctional family dealing with a stubborn family member’s issues. Loved this novel. Beautifully written.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from Goodreads Giveaways. It's a story about a dysfunctional family which was caused by the death of a son/brother and the guilt following. The plot is then complicated by a stroke the patriarch experiences and his need to make amends. The entire time I was reading I kept thinking I am so blessed to have my Faith where forgiveness is always present. These poor people were not so redeemed.

[Melinda M · Rating 2 out of 5]

To Leave a Memory by Pat Dunlap Evans is about a family that had things change in an instant. One event leads to others and includes family drama It is not may normal read. It was ok.

I recieved a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I didn't want the story to end. Highly recommend.

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

The second I read a snarky, ignorant political comment is the the second I dump a book.

[Sheila Dugan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought up childhood memories

I'm not sure just what I expected when I began reading this book. I thought the "present day" parts got way to repetitive and several times I considered not finishing the book, there are too many really good books to read, why get bogged down with one I was not enjoying ? In the end I was glad I finished reading it. I enjoyed the "ANDY" chapters the best . Being a dog lover I really enjoyed Andrew's relationship with Walter.