The Missing Suitcase tells a fictional story about James Evans.
                                 Contributed photo

The Missing Suitcase tells a fictional story about James Evans.

Contributed photo

<p>Irene Harrington’s 5th book is about her beloved friend.</p>
                                 <p>Contributed photo</p>

Irene Harrington’s 5th book is about her beloved friend.

Contributed photo

<p>James Evans passed away from COVID last year.</p>
                                 <p>Contributed photo</p>

James Evans passed away from COVID last year.

Contributed photo

CORRECTION: The original version of this article incorrectly referred to the title of the book as “The Missing Suitcase.” The title is in fact, “The Suitcase.”

WADESBORO — Local author Irene Harrington has published her fifth book “The Suitcase.”

Speckled Paw will host her book signing with refreshments on Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. until close. The Suitcase is a fictional story about beloved community member and North Carolina-native James Evans.

Evans worked in Anson County Schools for more than fifty years and helped out in the community as a philanthropist. Evans and Harrington met in Polkton in 1976 when Harrington was an assistant teacher. When Harrington started writing books in 2015, he supported her every time by going to her book signings and buying her books.

One night last year, Harrington received a call from Evans’ caregiver saying Evans was sick. She went to visit him that night, and that night changed her world. Not long after, in December, he passed away in the hospital. It was revealed that he died of COVID complications. Following his death, Harrington helped Evans’ nieces clean his house and get donations and papers ready for the funeral service.

But in the house, they found many treasures. They found Evans’ childhood things that were still kept in good condition. They later found Evans was also tracing his mother’s side of the family and his genealogy from Ancestry.com papers which were in a suitcase. Evans had two suitcases in good condition: one had gone to the hospital with him for his clothes and the other was the one they found in his house. They didn’t know what the suitcase’s artifacts and these papers could lead to. The book focuses on the suitcase’s mystery and tracking Evans’ family history, revealing stories that people don’t know about Evans. Evans had lots of childhood stories and wisdom to share with Anson, and Harrington wanted to compile those in a beautiful story.

The book dedicated to the memory of Evans.

“He never completed his project about finding his mom’s people, and that’s when I decided I was going to do it,” Harrington said. “I felt like I had to do it because of who he was. He helped people. He was a wonderful, spiritual man, and he loved the children in the school system.”

They had planned a memorial for him but had to cancel because of COVID’s resurgence and because the attendants would mostly be elderly who would risk being exposed. They may still have a memorial in March 2022 if COVID has subsided because his birthday is March 31. But for now, the book signing will double as a memorial for Evans.

“It is much needed that we never forget Mr. James Evans,” Harrington said.

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Reach Hannah Barron at 910-817-2668 or hbarron@ansonrecord.com.