Scavenged Sparks

The fire took his home. The cold took his family. But the Heartfire wouldn't let him fade. In the winter of 1930, eleven-year-old Charlie is a ghost in the breadlines, scavenging for scraps to keep his sister alive. It's here he first encounters Maya and her Blue Heeler, Atika - shadows in the dark who watch over him long before the world collapses. Then comes the night the sky turns orange.When their Hooverville camp is set ablaze, Charlie's mother gives her life to ensure he escapes the flames. Left with nothing but the weight of grief, Charlie is forced onto the rails, a scavenged spark drifting through a country that has no room for ghosts. But his guardians are still there. Through the treacherous Raton Pass and into the Colorado high country, Maya and Atika lead him to Sterling, a now retired conductor who offers a name, a hearth, and a future. In the quiet of a cedar house, Charlie must learn to trade the "Hooverville flinch" for the strength of a pen, realizing that his guardians weren't meant to stay - they were the bridge to a legacy that will one day change the world. A haunting story of loss and resilience, Scavenged Sparks is a testament to the light that survives the ash.