A Light of Hope is a Christian historical novel inspired by the true story of my grandmother — a young wife and mother in a village on the island of Crete who held her family together through poverty, war, and a marriage that tested everything she believed. It’s the story of the mother my father left behind, and the faith that carried her when her prayers felt unanswered.
Who this book is for
- Readers who love family sagas that follow one woman’s life across decades, from girlhood to motherhood
- Readers of Christian historical fiction about faith that holds when prayers feel unanswered
- Readers drawn to stories of the WWII years and their aftermath, told through the eyes of a mother rather than a soldier
- Anyone who has ever wondered what the women before them endured: the mothers and grandmothers whose sacrifices shaped a family
- Readers of Hope Is My Anchor who want to know the mother Manny left behind
- Book clubs looking for a story about forgiveness, sacrifice, and the wounds passed down through generations
What it’s about
In a quiet village on the island of Crete, Sapphira’s life begins like many others, rooted in family, tradition, and faith. Married young to a man she hoped would build a life with her, she instead finds herself navigating disappointment, poverty, and a husband slowly unraveling under the pressure to provide. Sapphira is left to hold her family together, often at great personal cost.
When tragedy strikes and her son’s life hangs in the balance, she is forced to confront the deepest questions of her faith: How do you keep believing when your prayers feel unanswered? How do you forgive when the wounds keep coming? And how do you hold onto hope when everything around you feels like it’s breaking?
Woven between the chapters is Cassie, Sapphira’s granddaughter, gathering the family’s stories and writing them down. She’s the thread that connects both books in The Hope Series.
Quick facts
- Genre: Christian historical fiction, inspired by a true story
- Setting: A village on the island of Crete
- Time period: Opens in 1934, then moves into the 1940s and the decades after the war
- Length: 261 pages
- Series: Book Two of The Hope Series (stands on its own; its story begins before Hope Is My Anchor)
- Formats: Paperback and Kindle (included in Kindle Unlimited)
- Content note: Mild language; a husband’s drinking and domestic violence (bruises are mentioned, but nothing graphic); a child’s serious burn injury and recovery; one brief, implied moment between a married couple. No explicit sexual content.
What readers are saying
Every rating on Amazon so far is five stars.
This one pulled at my ‘momma’ heart strings.… I actually don’t know which book I like better — I highly recommend them.
Amazon review
This is a must read. If you have read Hope is my Anchor you must read A Light of Hope.
Amazon review
For book clubs
A Light of Hope pairs naturally with Hope Is My Anchor: two sides of one family, a mother and the son who left home at twelve. Groups will find plenty to talk about, including faith when prayers feel unanswered, forgiveness, a mother’s sacrifice, and the wounds that pass from one generation to the next. Reading Book One together? The Hope Is My Anchor Book Club and Study Guide includes discussion questions.
Questions readers ask
Is A Light of Hope a true story?
It’s inspired by the life of my grandmother, Manny’s mother. The major events really happened. My family knows very little about her early years, so I imagined most of those conversations and many of the details. The later years, after I knew her, are closer to what I remember.
Do I need to read Hope Is My Anchor first?
No. Each book stands on its own. A Light of Hope is Book Two of The Hope Series, but its story begins earlier, in 1934, so some readers start here and some read it after Hope Is My Anchor. Either order works.
Is A Light of Hope a WWII novel?
Partly. The war comes when Sapphira and Nikos are young, and what they see leaves its mark, especially on Nikos. But it’s a family story told through a mother’s eyes, not a battlefield novel.
Is it a good fit for a church book club?
Many groups will find it a great fit. It includes mild language, a husband’s drinking, and domestic violence that’s mentioned but never graphic, plus a child’s serious burn injury. There’s no explicit sexual content.
Where can I buy A Light of Hope?
On Amazon in paperback and Kindle. The Kindle edition is included in Kindle Unlimited.
Continue the story
Then read Hope Is My Anchor, Book One — the story of Sapphira’s son Manny, who ran away from home at twelve and crossed oceans to build a new life in America, inspired by my father’s life.