Each and Every Spark, Claire Swinarski
Each and Every Spark, Claire Swinarski
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Each and Every Spark

Author: Claire Swinarski

Narrator: Casey Holloway, Emily Eiden

Unabridged: 6 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/17/2026


Synopsis

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 determined to take the Nazis down—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.

About Claire Swinarski

Claire Swinarski was born and raised in Wisconsin, where she still lives with her family and writes stories for readers of all ages. What Happens Next was her debut middle grade novel and was followed by The Kate in Between and What Happened to Rachel Riley, which was an ALA Notable Children’s Book, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults title, a Cybils Award nominee, and an Edgar Award nominee. These were followed by Take It from the Top and Each and Every Spark. Claire believes wandering around a library can solve 95 percent of life’s problems.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf on January 11, 2026

Book Report: Each and Every Spark by: Claire Swinarski In present day Paris…Penny Marks feels untethered…new country…new life and an old hurt that made her put down her art. In 1943 Paris…Marie Bonnet is living in fear as the Nazis occupy France…her father disappears and her sister risks everything......more

Goodreads review by Johnna on January 19, 2026

Didn’t expect a middle grade novel to make me sob but here we are… Read if you like: - dual timelines that converge - WWII history (specifically resistance fighters in German-occupied France) Thanks to HarperCollins through NetGalley for the ARC.......more

Goodreads review by Susan on February 24, 2026

This was so good! I loved both storylines so much. Will write more later!!......more

Goodreads review by Wendi on February 02, 2026

I'm a big fan of Claire Swinarski's writing all around. She's adept at getting to the heart of a narrative with a single line of prose, and this historical fiction middle-grade is no exception. (The title is great!) I was excited to read this book because WWII is my favorite time period to study, an......more

Goodreads review by Meaghan on January 14, 2026

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Quill Tree Books and Harper Collins) for the advanced reader's copy of this middle grade historical fiction story. I remember reading Lois Lowry's Number the Stars as an elementary student, and it was the first World War II historical fiction I had encountere......more