Each and Every Spark

by Claire Swinarski

From the Edgar Award nominated author of What Happened to Rachel Riley? comes an engrossing, timely, and propulsive story of two girls in Paris—one living under Nazi rule in the 1940s; the other in present day—and the mysterious painting that unites them. Perfect for fans of The Bletchley Riddle and When We Flew Away.

Paris, present day. Penny Marks has never felt so alone. Forced to move to France for some fancy job her mom couldn’t turn down, she’s now miles away from her old life. If she hadn’t quit art after all that drama went down last year, she’d at least have something to keep her mind off the fact that life back home is moving on without her.

Paris, 1943. Marie Bonnet has never felt so afraid. When the German army seized power over France, she and her sister Heloise watched their father get taken away, leaving them on their own. Then Marie finds evidence that Heloise has secretly been working for the French Resistance—a group of rebels set on a Nazi takedown—and while it has danger written all over it, she's desperate to join. Any small act of uprising could help their country…but it could also cost them their lives.

Penny and Marie’s worlds collide when an old painting resurfaces in present-day Paris after decades of being hidden. Along with it is a note whose message may lead Penny to Marie…and the fate that awaited her. 

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

288 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 17, 2026

About the author

Claire Swinarski is the author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Seventeen, Milwaukee Magazine, and many other publications. She lives in small town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough. You can follow her on Instagram @claireswinarski.

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Told in alternating viewpoints, this story centers on Penny Marks, in the present day, and Marie Bonnet, in 1943. Both girls live in Paris, France. Penny is very angry that her family has moved there from Wisconsin for her mother's job in the art world. Because of her brother Mason's long illness that lead to some hearing loss, and the political climate in their hometown that adversely affects the schools, the Marks want a fresh start. Penny just wants to be back home with her friends, and is angry at having been "kidnapped" and taken to Paris. Marie has bigger problems; her mother died when she was young, and her father has been sent to work for the Nazis in Germany, leaving her and her older sister Héloise to fend for themselves in the occupied city where food is scarce and soldier frequently detain or kill people on the street. The girls' father was a picture book writer famous for his book about a young rabbit, and the two embrace the idea of staying safe at home. When Penny's mother is called in to assess a painting found in the walls of a building, Penny is intrigued, even though she quit art lessons because she felt (mainly due to friends' influence) that there was no point in creating anything when the world was such a mess. She takes a piece of paper found near the painting, and starts her own investigation into how it might have ended up hidden. Marie discovers that her sister is working with the resistance, and also romantically involved with Adrien, another operative, and wants to do her own part to fight against the Nazis, encouraged by another Resistance member named Jeanne. When Penny's brother Matthew helps her research the painting and the French Resistance, the two worlds merge. With the help of Marie's daughter Odette, Penny is able to locate Marie in a care facility in Paris, and interviews her about the painting. Decades old mysteries are solved, which helps Penny's mother, whose short term job turns into a longer placement in Paris.
Strengths: There are fewer books about World War II set in France, so it was good to see this look at occupied Paris. The French Resistance was very interesting, and very young children acted as messengers. Weaving together two points in time makes the story more vivid for younger readers. We are getting to the point in time where there will be no more people alive who were actually involved in the war, so portraying the present day Marie in a care facility, struggling with memory issues, was very realistic. Penny's connection to art helped highlight the plight of so many works that were stolen during the war, and it was good to see a mostly happy ending portrayed.
Weaknesses: Penny's complaints about having to live in Paris were hard to take as an adult; young readers might not find this as grating. Her objection to her mother going back to work after taking time off to raise her seemed very dated. I would think that most children today expect their mothers to be employed.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like WWII art mysteries like Fitzgerald's Under the Egg, Hicks' The Dark Skies Mystery: A World War II Thriller, Osborne's Winter's Bullet, or Cameron's Artifice.
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[Erica Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle grade historical/contemporary novel features two bright and brave protagonists, connected by a painting despite living many decades apart. It is a quick read and I didn't find it as gripping as I hoped, but I can see it fitting really well alongside The Bletchley Riddle, Max in the House of Spies, and similar titles. I thought the alternating points of view were a neat way to intertwine the stories, but always found myself itching for more of Penny's modern day story - odd because I usually lean more for the historical perspective in stories like this and found Marie a more interesting character. All said, though, I found this a good read, and will be recommending to my middle grade historical fiction fans.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Mimayk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ - I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am such a fan of historical fiction. When I saw the cover, I just knew I had to read it. I loved reading Marie’s POV more than Penny’s, and of course, she was my favorite. Penny acted selfishly, which made me dislike her a little, especially toward the end. I even teared up a couple of times! I liked Marie’s ending, but I felt that Penny still had one last thing to do before the end of her story, but she never did it (I don’t want to spoil anything). Other than that, this was a really good book, and I recommend reading it!

[Faith Elizabeth Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each and Every Spark, by Claire Swinarski, is a masterpiece of both historical and contemporary fiction, as it spins a dual timeline story of two girls desperate to discover their place in the world.

I’ve always been a total sucker for WWII stories, and that preference has even strengthened as an adult, as I live in a world with so many tensions, prejudices, and injustices of its own. As horrific as the world war was, seeing the beauty and humanity and hand of God throughout it all gives me so much hope for my own present life.

Claire Swinarski, by telling the story of a contemporary character alongside the story of a historical character, makes that point even more dramatically. Things were bad then. Things are bad now. But each and every human has the ability to make a difference. Every good thing we do, large or small, matters. By diving into both Penny’s and Marie’s stories, Claire subtly whispers to each of her readers: “You, too. You, next. You matter, and you can make a difference.”

Resistance isn’t always grand and dramatic—in fact, it rarely is. Most often it means sticking to our guns, standing by the oppressed, choosing to spread love and joy instead of hatred and violence—in a million little sparks that add up to a glorious flame.

On another note, I loved the quiet but strong presence of Marie’s and Penny’s Catholic faith. It was peripheral to the plot, but helped develop who these girls had become—and provided a link to the lives of many young readers of faith who are looking for characters like themselves.

Parents will want to be aware:

Like all WWII books, this contains upsetting content. Sensitive children may be very upset by the realities children at the time faced. Hardest for me was the abduction of Marie’s Jewish classmate and a melancholy, if not exactly tragic, ending.

In the present day section, there is an instance of terrorism.

One or two instances of God’s name in vain; to me, their addition made sense because of the circumstances.

Penny makes some foolish decisions—but all of them have clear consequences.

In my family, this will be for my upper middle grade or teenage readers, but you know your children best!

Each and Every Spark releases in February, but you can pre-order it now!