Literary fiction by Dan Eberhart 
There is a fine line between those who go to war, and those who vow to keep them from going. Supporting them on both sides of the divide, are the loved ones left behind. A Pact with the Living is about war, but is not a war story. It explores how after all the battles, sacrifice and loss, survivors on both sides of the divide carry on and come to peace with their grief.
On a cold December night in 1969, all American men between the ages of 18 and 26 had their destinies decided by a small piece of paper pulled from a blue capsule, the first selective service lottery. Two men and a woman watching the event crossed paths for the first time. Their journeys through life clashed along the way, then united after going through hell and back.
A Pact with the Living will bring the reader to the Vietnam War Memorial and ask two questions. Are 58,000 names on a wall are a just price to pay for a cause? What is the cost to avoid being a name on that wall? In the end, A Pact with the Living will show that the dead on either side of the divide never leave us. They will tell us that the soldier and the pacifist have more in common than not.
AuthorHouse (2016)
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Reviews:
So my mom was here over the holidays and I gave her your book to read–she couldn’t put it down and took it home to KC with her to finish. She said she loved how clearly you wrote and that you were capturing the feeling of the times better than anything she’d read about the time period. For the record, she is an avid reader (100+ books per year) — Alison P
I write to convey ideas, but you paint with words! Your latest pallete is leaps and bounds beyond your first book! Congratulations! — Janet A
I liked the metaphors describing scenery. And the viewpoints of different characters, and moving across an expanse of time. The summary of opposing sides of the Nam conflict as experienced in the USA gave me an understanding that I lacked entirely during those years. Made me wonder which events were autobiographical. Figured, you must have visited the locations for accuracy. Descriptions of Boulder kind of took me back to my visits there – and my days in college. I did find myself wanting to get back to reading the book day by day. Took a couple weeks. — Mike Y
I enjoyed reading A Pact with the Living. I have to say, I started it with some misgiving because I’ve read another family/friends books and struggled to get through them. I truly looked forward to reading yours. It was an interesting subject and writing was good. Thanks! Now, what happened to Merry?!!! — Sue L
“Powerful book! And very nicely wrought! It’s a page-turner, as the saying goes. I read it over a 3-evening period (stayed up too late, damn you). You did a marvelous job putting together a profound story; the narrative architecture is wonderful. You’ve provided wonderful images–the Boulder campus comes to life and sets the reader right down in the middle of the scene; and your portrayal of the Wall (and especially the mirror-like effect) is the best writing you’ve done. you’ve added great storytelling and the ability to recreate a milieu; plus the power to tug on heartstrings and invite personal reflection (Pact introduces moral dilemmas into the reader in unexpected ways.” — Aaron
“I am floored! So well written. I am embarrassed to tell you but I had a little emotional breakdown on the airplane last week during a couple of parts. Keep writing, I will read anything you put into print.” — Brian C