Kerry Lonsdale is the bestselling author of emotionally charged domestic drama novels. Her Everything series, which has sold two million copies, will be re-released June 2026 in deluxe hardback editions with sprayed edges and bonus content to celebrate the series’ 10th anniversary. The fourth book in the series, Everything We Found, will be released in August 2026. Since her son’s tragic passing, she’s read voraciously about the Afterlife and encourages everyone, young and old, to be bold and brave, but most of all, kind and compassionate, in everything they do. 

As the release date approaches for the adaptation of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, Lonsdale was kind enough to share her story of comfort and compassion in the wake of losing a child and how books have the power to transcend.

Guest post by Kerry Lonsdale

Many of us have a favorite book, a story that sticks with us for one reason or another. We relate to the characters. We resonate with the themes. Or we recognize something of ourselves between the covers. My son Evan’s favorite book was Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. He was a big fan of Weir, read all of his books. Watched The Martian more than once. But there was something that appealed to him about Project Hail Mary, a book he’d read multiple times. Four-and-three-quarter times to be exact.

He was on page 317 of his fifth read when he tragically passed away in a single vehicle car accident on June 29, 2025. He was only 24.

I found Evan’s copy of Project Hail Mary on the floor by his desk with his bookmark, a WWII playing card, where he left it. My first thought upon seeing the book was that now I would never know why it was his favorite. I could no longer ask him. My next thought upon flipping through the pages was that I’d never know why he tried on multiple occasions to convince me to read it. He really wanted me to read it.

“You’ll love it, Mom,” he often said. “It’s different from his others.” But I always had an excuse.

Science fiction isn’t my jam.

I have other books queued to read first. I’ll get to it when I can.

Or the one that guts me…

I don’t have time.

The sudden, unexpected death of a child, no matter their age, is the most devastating loss a parent can experience. It goes against the natural order of life. I was in shock, numb, and could barely form a coherent sentence during the days following his death. And during the weeks that followed, I avoided the news. I couldn’t write a single word—and I was an author on a deadline. I also wasn’t interested in reading. Anything. Even my own works-in-progress.

Until I picked Evan’s book off the floor and cracked it open.

The least I could do was finally read the book, I’d thought at the time. It would be one way to honor him. It would make me feel closer to him. Less guilty for not reading it when he was alive.

It could help me get to know him better, understand him more, especially since I’d never have more time with him.

On July 15, 2025, I took a photo of the book and posted it to Instagram and Facebook with this caption:

“Evan’s favorite book. He read it 4-5 times and had planned to read it again. He was excited to see the movie coming out next year.

The day before he died I texted him a photo of the Project Hail Mary movie poster. He ‘hearted’ it.

The following morning, I sent my last text to him. I asked if he’d water my manzanitas. He never replied. Unbeknownst to me, he’d passed away six hours before. Two hours later I’d get a call from the Brentwood Police Department. Henry and I were out of town for the weekend and it took the authorities that long to locate my number.

The Project Hail Mary movie trailer dropped the day after he passed.

The book in the photo is Evan’s copy. It now sits on my nightstand. I’m going to read it.”

What I didn’t expect was the outpouring in the author and reader communities who wanted to read Project Hail Mary with me in Evan’s memory. It started with Crystal Patriarche, this publication’s CEO: I’m going to read it too if that’s okay. Maybe more will also join.

Others did…

This has been on my TBR forever. I’m going to read it now.

I’ll definitely be thinking of you and your family when I open this one up.

I will think of Evan when I read the book and see the movie later.

My husband started talking about Project Hail Mary with a friend and I felt it was a sign that I needed to join Evan’s Book Club.

And that’s what it became: Evan’s Book Club. Suddenly, it seemed EVERYONE was reading Project Hail Mary in Evan’s memory. Authors, readers, strangers sent me direct messages, texts, and emails, sharing their love and enjoyment of the book. Confessing they never would have read it if I hadn’t posted about my son. Thanking me for bringing the book to their attention.

There are many themes in Project Hail Mary, some of the more notable are sacrifice and duty, human ingenuity and problem-solving. Some of the lesser themes circle around the ethics of saving the world, courage, and cowardice. But two themes stood out to me: unlikely friendship and connection.

Project Hail Mary explores what isolation can do to a person. Our protagonist Grace’s solitude in deep space is palpable. The human species is meant to work together in community. We seek connection through relationships. And it’s the relationship between Grace and Rocky, an unlikely friend, that is the emotional heart of the book. Despite how radically different Grace and Rocky are, they forge a profound bond. I knew instantly that this—that unlikely friendship and connection between Grace and Rocky—was why Project Hail Mary was Evan’s favorite book. Like many peers of Gen Z, he felt isolated and often sought connection with others.

Now, Project Hail Mary is one of my favorite books, especially the copy gifted to me by my dear friend, author A.J. Banner. A friend of the author, A.J. asked Andy to sign the book in Evan’s memory. Evan would have treasured it. Just as I treasure both copies now. My son’s, and the one the author signed: In memory of Evan Lonsdale, I commend your body to the stars. Andy Weir.

Reading Project Hail Mary didn’t just give me a glimpse of how humanity can come together for the greater good. It gave me a better understanding of who my son truly was. A compassionate, kind, empathetic, and sensitive young man I will always love to the moon and beyond. Just like the “new ideas” in the book’s narrative, Evan was “a tiny crack in the universe, letting in just a little bit more light.” He brightened every soul he touched during his short time on Earth.

Kerry Lonsdale and others who loved her son will be commemorating Evan’s life with a watch party on March 28th. If you plan on seeing this novel on the big screen, perhaps you can do so with them in mind. As readers, we know the power of stories to change lives and community is our strength. 

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

Everything We Keep follows sous chef Aimee Tierney, whose life falls apart when her fiancé, James Donato, seemingly dies in a boating accident just before their wedding. As she tries to move forward, Aimee investigates the circumstances of his disappearance and uncovers hidden secrets about the man she loved. Her search for the truth forces her to question their past and decide whether the revelations will help her heal or break her completely.

Buy the book now: Amazon