Toward

the Light

A Year in Paris

Coming September 15, 2026

What happens when the City of Light turns dark?

At twenty-two, Deborah Svec-Carstens leaves small-town Iowa for Paris, hoping a year abroad will bring adventure, independence, and a fresh start. But just as she begins to feel at home, a morning run ends in sexual assault.

Every instinct tells her to leave. Instead, she chooses to stay.

As the months pass, Deborah leans on an unexpected community of friends, wrestles with questions of faith, and finds purpose in caring for Lily, the young girl entrusted to her care. Slowly, she discovers that healing is not a destination, but a path taken one step at a time.

Set against the cafés, parks, and neighborhoods of Paris, Toward the Light is a coming-of-age memoir of trauma, resilience, and the courage of simply staying.

“Powerful . . . [Explores] the soul-shifting loss of innocence and the beginning steps toward healing.”

—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Crescendo

“A story of resilience, spirit, and community . . . will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired.”

—Debra Landwehr Engle, bestselling author of The Only Little Prayer You Need and Twenty