About the Book

Book: Sparks of Hope

Author: Avrie Swan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 1, 2026

A woman rebuilding after tragedy and a grieving father searching for hope discover that the past isn’t finished with them.

After the Peshtigo Fire reduces her teaching dreams to ash, Willow Deeran refuses to let the flames win. She pours her last hope into an audacious plan: opening an orphanage for the children left homeless by Wisconsin’s deadliest wildfire. All she needs is funding—and a partner she’s never met.

Violin maker Valentine Ashardt has spent the year since the fire hiding behind his grief, haunted by the daughter he lost in the blaze. Helping Willow build the orphanage offers more than purpose. As silent co-owner, he’ll have access to every child who comes through its doors. Surely, one of them will be his Mary.

As anonymous threats mount, old accusations resurface, and a mysterious little girl with no memory arrives on their doorstep, Willow and Valentine must decide if their dreams might not look different than they’d once hoped. Because sometimes God’s plan looks nothing like what we imagined. And sometimes the family we’ve been desperately searching for has been standing beside us all along.

For fans of Joanna Davidson Politano and Jody Hedlund—a tender story of faith renewed, purpose rediscovered, and love rising from the most unexpected ruins.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Avrie Swan is a Christian author and avid reader with a love for all things historical. Having grown up exploring antique stores and museums, she eventually decided to combine her interest in history with her love for writing and began working on her first full-length novel at the age of fourteen. She especially enjoys writing stories that focus on themes of family, faith, and growth through difficult times.

When Avrie is not writing, she is watching old movies, collecting antique books, and hunting for agates. A native Wisconsinite, she enjoys spending the cold winters indoors with her cat on her lap and a good book in her hand.

More from Avrie

Hello, folks!

It’s hard to believe Sparks of Hope is the third and final entry in The Peshtigo Fire Chroniclesseries. Writing this book was bittersweet… but also undeniably exciting. Willow and Valentine’s story took me some time to develop, and the result is a book with a lot of heart. Their tale explores themes of found family and growth while also rounding out Carina and Charlotte’s journeys. I hope you enjoy the conclusion to their stories!

One of my favorite elements in Sparks of Hope is Valentine’s occupation as a luthier. My family has always enjoyed music, and since I took violin lessons for several years when I was younger, I thought it only fitting to include a violin maker in one of my stories. I didn’t know much about the process of building violins when I started my research for the book, but I soon discovered it’s a fascinating and detailed craft. I have the utmost respect for the skilled people who shape the instruments enjoyed by so many.

While music plays a small role in Sparks of Hope, the story’s central theme is purpose. Have you ever wondered what God’s plan was for your life? That question weighs heavily on Willow’s mind after a disaster ruins all her carefully laid plans. She finds herself needing to choose a new path and pursue a different dream…although achieving it may not be quite as simple as she hopes.

In honor of the upcoming release of Sparks of Hope, I thought it would be fun to do a “this or that” game featuring some elements from the book. Which options do you prefer? Pick your favorites and then head over to my Instagram (@avrieswanwrites) or website (avrieswan.com) to share your choices!

Scarf or shawl
Griddlecakes or fresh bread
Cottage or townhouse
Sleigh ride or autumn walk
Frozen harbor or snowy forest

Blessings,

Avrie Swan

My Impressions

“purpose is a strange thing. It doesn’t always align with what we expect, nor does it follow our rules. And things don’t always turn out exactly the way we think they will.”

When the raging inferno of the October 8, 1871, Peshtigo, WI, devours the town and destroys more lives than the great, well-known Chicago fire of the same day, how can any hope of recovery rise from the ashes of utter devastation? Avrie Swan’s main characters, Willow Deeran and Valentine (Val) Ashardt of her third book in The Peshtigo Fire series, will have to dig deep within themselves, their relationships and their faith to find Sparks of Hope.

Willow’s life-long dream is to start a school for the children of Peshtigo. A big dream for a young woman whose family’s poverty precludes even enough education for her to be able to read and write. Then the fire. Her body survives, but partial amnesia and a loss of everything they own destroys that dream. What would change if she could just recall events surrounding the fire? Could it help with the new purpose that God has seemingly placed in her lap, as soon as she prays? (Isn’t this just like God to answer a prayer before the words are hardly out of our mouths?)

But this new purpose creates great problems. Financial. Safety. Familial discord. ( Can I say I was so disappointed that Ma isn’t very supportive of this new dream, while Da is just the opposite personality, warm, loving, and affirming at every possible turn? )

And the financial help for her new orphanage idea comes from the most unexpected source. Val’s best friend Quincy, a newspaper reporter, is actually who Willow approaches for help. Val who is a talented stringed instrument carver and a social recluse is visiting his friend at the office. Overhearing the need, Val offers to be a silent partner. Quincy objects! “You don’t even know this woman.” “No, I don’t. But I respect a good deed when I see one.”

And so an unlikely, socially inappropriate relationship between two single, different classes (yes, America had them and still manages to have them!) begins! And so does the tongue wagging! Some of it is busybody stuff, some is reactionary and funny(!), and some is conniving and terribly damaging.

The antagonists in this novel are beautifully drawn. Not beautiful, mind you, just well fleshed out, needy, selfish, and can’t see beyond their own needs to understand the hurt in others’ lives.

Fave characters? I have several. Mary. So sweet, so adorable, so cracks open more than one hard heart! Da, for his genuine love and unconditional love and support of his daughter. ( Unfortunately, perhaps some of that is missing in his relationship with his son, though it would be much more difficult?) And a “bad guy.” I actually loved Hattie. Not what she does, but she is rather hilarious in her overbearing, obtuse ways and is the pefect catalyst. Well done!

Trigger warnings for those who want them: fire scenes, grave mental health issues.

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through CelebrateLit via BookFunnel. I also bought my own copy. No positive review is required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“God has a plan for us all, Willow. He has known what we will do in life since the very beginning. But that plan isn’t always what you expect.”

“There was no saving what had been lost. Not then, and not now.”

“The best way to handle rumors is to let them run their course. People will eventually find something else to focus on.”

“Nothing in life is predictable, Willow. There are risks at every turn.“ … “What’s important is facing the risks and continuing.To give up now, when you’ve come this far, would defeat everything you’re trying to accomplish.”

“…if he remained trapped in the past for much longer, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to truly live in the present.”