Book Description
This book is on discount promotion on Amazon for $0.99 (regularly $2.99) 9/19/2026 - 9/25/2026!
She came to Poland to serve God. She stayed to save lives. Now she must survive.
American missionary teacher Irena Simmons never expected heroism. She expected classrooms, hymns, and the quiet work of faith. But when Hitler's army invades Poland in September 1939, Irena finds herself at the center of a desperate, dangerous mission—one she cannot walk away from, no matter the cost.
Irena has already risked everything once—secretly smuggling endangered German children out of the Reich and sheltering them in her Polish church school until their parents can follow. Her tiny half-Jewish niece plays in the same halls. Her beloved sister, pregnant and gravely ill, cannot travel. And Irena—who vowed she would never love again after losing her fiancé—has built a life around sacrifice and duty.
Then Jonathan Huntwell arrives.
Her former classmate carries urgent orders: get Irena and the children out of Poland before it's too late. But Irena waits too long. She cannot bring herself to leave the helpless behind. And when the last chance for a safe departure slips away, she is thrust into a heart-pounding race across Nazi-occupied territory—responsible for lives that depend entirely on her courage, her faith, and the God she has always trusted to provide.
In Abounding Hope, you'll find:
✔ A courageous, deeply human heroine navigating impossible choices
✔ A tender slow-burn romance between two people shaped by loss and loyalty
✔ Authentic, historically rich detail from the early days of World War II in Poland
✔ A story of Christian faith lived out under pressure—honest, tested, and triumphant
✔ Heart-stopping suspense woven through every chapter
✔ The unbreakable love between sisters, and the fierce instinct to protect the innocent
Perfect for readers who love Sarah Sundin, Roseanna White, Kristy Cambron, and Lynn Austin—fans of inspirational historical fiction, WWII novels, Christian romance, and stories of extraordinary women who changed the world one act of courage at a time.
Whether you're drawn to wartime survival stories, faith-driven fiction, or slow-burn historical romance with real emotional depth, Abounding Hope will grip your heart from the first page and refuse to let go.
More About This Book
When and Why Should Someone Read It?
Readers who love to learn history by experiencing it through historical fiction would enjoy discovering lesser-known events that took place leading up to and including the early months of the start of WWII in Poland. This novel is perfect for readers who love fast-moving stories with suspense and a developing romance between male and female protagonists. In the end, readers will feel that they've lived through the experiences themselves and have been challenged to trust in God during the most difficult times.
Themes, Ideas & Atmosphere
Themes -
• Faith and Divine Providence: The unwavering belief in God's plan and protection, even amidst chaos and suffering.
• Resilience and Survival: The characters' capacity to endure immense hardship, adapt, and continue striving for safety and hope.
• Love and Sacrifice: Characters demonstrating deep affection and willingness to risk everything for the well-being of others.
• Hope in Adversity: The enduring human spirit's ability to find and cling to hope, even in the darkest times.
• Duty vs. Personal Safety: The internal conflict between one's obligations (to ministry, family, country) and the instinct for self-preservation.
• The Power of Community and Friendship: The crucial role of allies, friends, and found family in providing support and aid during a crisis.
• Loss and Grief: The pervasive experience of losing loved ones, homes, and a way of life, and the process of coping with profound sorrow.
• Personal Growth and Transformation: The journey of characters like Irena and Jonathan as they confront their flaws, learn to trust, and deepen their understanding of love and purpose.
Tropes -
1. The Protector: A character who takes on the responsibility of safeguarding others, often at great personal risk.
2. Child in Danger: Young, vulnerable characters whose safety is a primary plot driver, often requiring heroic efforts from adults.
3. The Threat Returns: A previously defeated or escaped antagonist reappears to menace the protagonists again.
4. Childhood Friends to Lovers: Two characters who have known each other since youth gradually develop romantic feelings.
5. Heroic Sacrifice: A character willingly gives up their life or freedom for the greater good or to protect others.
6. "I Was Wrong" Epiphany: A moment of realization where a character understands they have misjudged a situation or made a mistake, often leading to personal growth.
7. Race Against Time: A plot device where characters must achieve a goal or avert a disaster before a strict deadline.
8. The Power of Prayer/Faith in Action: Characters actively relying on their Christian faith and prayer to guide them through impossible situations.
If You Loved These, You'll Love This
1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: Explores themes of sisterhood, resistance, survival during WWII, and moral choices. Features strong female protagonists facing impossible situations. However, Abounding Hope differs in the following ways: covers a short time frame (the beginning of the war), doesn't include sexual abuse, includes a happily-ever-after and a sweet romance. There is also a strong faith element included (Bible verses and prayers are quoted throughout the story).
2. The Sound of Music Film: Explores themes of taking a stand for what is right at great personal sacrifice, overcoming the fear of romantic love, loving and caring for needy children that aren't your own, facing difficulties with determination and faith in God, resisting the Nazis.
The Story Behind the Book
I earned a master's degree in Secondary Education/History and was a high school teacher for many years. I was intrigued with the question of how refugees escaped Poland at the beginning of WWII and where they went. Through extensive research from primary and secondary sources, I discovered a wealth of answers I wanted to share through the medium of historical fiction. Combining actual historical events with a sweet romance and strong faith elements brought the story to life and provides the opportunity for readers to experience this time period through the lives of relatable characters.
The Central Question
Regardless of overwhelming crises in our lives, if we choose to hope and trust in God, He promises to walk with us through our trials and work all things together for good.
Abounding Hope - a WWII Christian romance by Cindy Kay Stewart, a book, promoted on Goodkindles for .