WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
of
Toward the Light: A Year In Paris
by
Deborah Svec-Carstens
Autobiography / Memoir / Coming-of-Age
Publisher: Spiral Staircase Press
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Page count: 305 pages
SYNOPSIS:
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.
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READ AN EXCERPT:
My jet-lag fog and doubts lifted at the sight of the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc de Triomphe, and other landmarks. I twisted my head in every direction and leaned close to the windows. The driver watched me through his rearview mirror. I probably looked like a dog running back and forth across the back seat, but I didn’t care. I was in Paris. I had made the right decision.
The car stopped in front of an unremarkable, five-story apartment building six blocks away from the Arc de Triomphe. White shutters in need of a fresh coat of paint framed the windows on the upper levels. A restaurant and a foreign currency exchange were located on either side of seven-foot-tall, dark green, wooden double doors—nearly the size of an entrance to an ancient cathedral.
The driver set my bags on the curb. I rifled through unfamiliar currency to find what I owed. Unsure of whether to tip, I added a few francs to the total, depleting what I’d exchanged. He drove away, and I stared up at the building that would be my home for the next ten months. Luggage in one hand, I used the other to punch in the door code Claudette had given me. When I heard a click, I pushed open one of the heavy doors and stepped over the threshold into a shaded courtyard with no grass and only a few flowers in the windowsills.
A stranger. An outsider. Entering the unknown.
I had arrived.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Deborah Svec-Carstens, JD, MTS, is a writer, book coach, spiritual director, and former lawyer whose work explores healing after trauma, embodiment, and spirituality. Her debut memoir, Toward the Light: A Year in Paris, traces her search for meaning and connection in the months after a traumatic assault in Paris in her early twenties.
Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in bioStories, the Brevity blog, the Des Moines Register, and Ember & Vine Nonfiction Anthology. Her work has received recognition from Writer’s Digest, WOW! Women on Writing, and Memoir Magazine.
Deborah writes The Spiral Staircase on Substack and offers workshops and presentations. She lives in Central Iowa with her husband, where she writes and accompanies others in their journeys of healing and story.
BLOG TOUR CALENDAR:
October 19th @ The Muffin - Join us as we celebrate the launch of Toward the Light: A Year in Paris by Deborah Svec-Carstens. Read an interview with the author and enter the giveaway.
October 20th @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read - Looking for a new memoir? Read an excerpt from the debut memoir by Deborah Svec-Carstens, Toward the Light: A Year in Paris.
October 22nd @ All Things Writing - Author Deborah Svec-Carstens shares her writing experience in Writing About Trauma, Not Reliving It.
October 27th @ A Wonderful World of Words - Deborah Svec-Carstens writes about the journey to release the shame after her assault, including writing her memoir Toward the Light.
October 30th @ Nikki's Book and Movie Reviews - Stop by for a review of Toward the Light by Deborah Svec-Carstens.
October 31st @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion - Meet author Deborah Svec-Carstens in today's interview.
November 4th @ Words by Webb - Jodi shares her thoughts on Toward the Light by Deborah Svec-Carstens.
November 6th @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader - Today Joan is reviewing a memoir of trauma and hope by Deborah Svec-Carstens: Toward the Light.
November 14th @ World of My Imagination - Celebrate National Memoir Writing Month with Nicole's review of Toward the Light: A Year in Paris.
