Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou
What if famous paintings weren’t just pictures—but portals to other parts of the world?
What if your little sister vanished into a painting—and you were the only one who could save her?
What if the art you tried to forget held the key to your family’s biggest secret?
Welcome to The Sword and Story Podcast, where we help Christian families find exciting, faith-filled books for their boys. Our mission is to raise strong, courageous warriors for the kingdom of God. Join us on a quest to discover stories that inspire our boys to grow into godly young men.
Our guest author today is Carolyn Leiloglou.
AUTHOR BIO:
Carolyn Leiloglou is the author of the award-winning middle grade fantasy series The Restorationists. She is the granddaughter of art collectors, daughter of an art teacher, and homeschooling mom to four wildly creative kids. Carolyn and her husband Demetrios make their home in San Antonio, Texas, and you can find her everywhere online as House full of Bookworms.
Back Cover of Beneath the Swirling Sky
A house full of paintings, a missing sister, and a family secret send a boy and his cousin into a world where art is the key in this fantasy adventure.
After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his sister Lily spend spring break with their art-conservator great-uncle, Vincent’s plan is to stay glued to his phone. That is, until Lily disappears into one of the world’s most famous paintings, and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from him. Their family is the last of the Restorationists—a secret society with the power to travel through paintings, and a duty to protect them from evil forces. With Lily’s safety on the line, leaving art behind is no longer an option. Vincent must team up with his know-it-all second cousin, Georgia, wrestle with why his parents lied to him, and confront both his past and a future he never wanted.
Young readers are invited into a captivating universe where paintings become a portal adventure, and danger lurks beyond every canvas.
Be sure to check out The Restorationists series at www.carolynleiloglou.com.
Appeal to Boys
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High-stakes rescue mission: Big-brother Vincent must save his sister trapped in a painting.
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Portal fantasy adventure: Paintings are literal gateways; every canvas is a new world to navigate.
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Clear objective + ticking clock: Protect the art, outsmart the villains, get Lily home.
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Problem-solving & discovery: Clues, navigation, and creative thinking inside each artwork.
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Courage under pressure: Facing danger, stepping up to protect others, doing hard things.
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Relatable hero: A kid who doubts his own gift learns to use it with confidence.
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Clean, fast-paced storytelling: Adventure-forward with subtle faith moments parents appreciate.
Key Themes
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Calling & gifts: Everyone has unique, God-given abilities; learn them, value them, and use them in service to others.
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Courage & protection: Boys growing into selfless protectors—strength used for good.
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Repentance & growth: Bad choices can be owned and made right; true change is possible.
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Humility vs. envy: Resisting comparison; embracing who God made you to be (esp. Georgia’s arc in book 2).
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Belonging & identity: Finding your place on the right side—even after starting as an outsider (Ravi in book 3).
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Teamwork & the Body of Christ: Different roles working together; no gift is “lesser.”
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Truth & beauty: Art matters; beauty points beyond itself and is worth protecting.
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Perseverance under pressure: Staying the course when danger, doubt, or failure threaten the mission.
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
About Beneath the Swirling Sky and the Restorationists World
Laurie Christine:
Carolyn, I am really excited to talk about your books. We have been reading them in our family. The first book in the Restorationists series is called Beneath the Swirling Sky. Give us an overview—what is the book about, and what’s the series genre in general?
Carolyn Leiloglou:
I loved your “what if” statements because they capture the world of these books, where art is powerful, paintings are portals, and one family has been tasked with protecting them. Beneath the Swirling Sky is the story of Vincent, a twelve-year-old who has given up on art after a bad experience. He learns that his family are the last Restorationists, with the ability to travel into paintings and the duty to protect them.
When his little sister gets lost in Van Gogh’s Starry Night, he and his know-it-all second cousin, Georgia, are the only ones who can rescue her. The book has a lot of adventure, they visit real art, and there are faith moments woven in as well.
Real Artwork in the Story
Laurie Christine:
We read the first two books in the series with my boys—my two youngest are eight and ten—and they loved the stories. We read them every morning before school as a read-aloud, and they really enjoyed them. I loved them too. It was fascinating, especially all the references to real artwork. Talk about how those art pieces came into the story and how you built the story around them.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
My grandparents were art collectors, so I grew up around a lot of art. We visited their house often and even lived with them for a short time. They didn’t have Van Goghs, but I wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by art—what kind of character would need that story and would travel into the world of these artists. I always wanted to use real artists.
A lot of my choices about which paintings they visit came from the real world. I chose Starry Night as a starting point. If you enter Starry Night and can only go to other Van Gogh paintings in roughly chronological order, where would you end up? I also tried to keep paintings in their actual locations, the museums where they typically live—acknowledging that paintings travel for exhibits.
For the bad guys, they can only access paintings that are stolen in real life. That led to some really cool moments in the story that wouldn’t have happened if I had just selected favorites. It was a fun constraint to write within.
Laurie Christine:
That’s so fun. In some ways, the story had to write itself based on where the art could take you. We loved pausing to look up the actual paintings. You described them so well that when we pulled them up, we immediately recognized exactly what you were describing.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
That’s awesome. I’ve heard from a lot of families that kids say, “Show me this painting. I want to see it,” which is pretty phenomenal.
Homeschool Tie-Ins and Resources
Laurie Christine:
That’s great—especially since you homeschool. This would be a great read-aloud for homeschool families with art projects and history connections: research, picture study, or painting in the style of Van Gogh. There are so many tie-ins. Do you have ideas or resources for homeschool families?
Carolyn Leiloglou:
I do. I have resources on my website for people who want to use the books as a jumping-off point. I created a picture study guide that’s Restorationists-style—based on Charlotte Mason’s model—very simple and easy to use with any picture, with a Restorationists twist where you imagine going into the painting. I include a list of suggestions.
I also have a guide for taking your kids to an art museum. Many families feel intimidated or worry kids will be bored, but I share practical tips to make it enjoyable for everyone.
Laurie Christine:
That’s great. I’ll link those in the show notes for this episode. Briefly, where can listeners find them—on your website?
Carolyn Leiloglou:
Yes—carolynleiloglou.com. And to help with the spelling: lei (like the Hawaiian flower necklace), log (like a piece of wood), and lou (like the name). Now you can say it and spell it.
Laurie Christine:
Thank you! I was going to ask you to spell your name because that can be tricky.
Themes that Build Courageous Boys
One of the things we always talk about on this show is how books can help our boys become strong, courageous warriors for the kingdom of God. That doesn’t mean the book has to preach courage explicitly, but we look for the spiritual aspects—even when they’re subtle. What themes in your stories can help boys grow as courageous followers of God?
Carolyn Leiloglou:
Vincent loves his little sister and is protective in a very big-brotherly way. That’s a good model. He also makes some bad decisions. He wants to save his sister, but he isn’t initially willing to be a protector for others who also need someone to stand up for them.
He eventually makes the right choice, which is a great model: boys can choose the right thing, and if they make the wrong choice, they’re not stuck. They can go back, do the hard work, and make things right. I loved writing that arc.
Laurie Christine:
At the end, he learns to stand up for people who are weaker (no spoilers!). He also learns to use his gifts. God has given him specific gifts, and at first he doesn’t think they’re valuable. He wonders how he could use them and why they would matter. He realizes they are valuable and embraces them.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
That’s a huge theme throughout the series. In the Restorationists’ world, everyone can travel into paintings, but within the paintings each person has specific gifts unique to them. Georgia is a navigator—she can find her way through different paintings and lead the team well. Others have different gifts (some are mild spoilers), but a major theme is learning to use those gifts in service of others and as a team.
I chose the language of “gifts” intentionally. God has given each of us different gifts. We need to recognize them as such, grow into them, and use them to serve others—without resenting that our gift looks less flashy than someone else’s.
Laurie Christine:
That’s a great picture of the body of Christ—different abilities and skills used to build each other up and serve. Scripture tells us not to envy someone else’s gift. That theme shows up in the second book too: “Why don’t I have that gift? I wish God made me that way.” Then learning to embrace who God made you to be.
I also love that your characters are flawed. It’s important for young readers, especially boys, to look up to characters who aren’t perfect and to see that they can change and choose to follow God.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
Thank you. I modeled some of that after Andrew Peterson’s books. That was the first time it really stood out to me: a good character with real sin issues to work through. It makes the character more real. As Christian parents, we don’t need Pollyanna-type characters who are already perfect. Kids won’t identify with them and may think, “I could never be that.” They need to see true growth—just like we see in biblical characters, including King David.
Laurie Christine:
As an aside, author to author—it’s hard to write characters who are both likable and flawed. I tend to be good at one or the other and then have to rewrite. My critique partners will say, “Okay, we see the flaws, but he’s a jerk and we don’t like him.” Then I have to figure out how to make him likable while still showing his imperfections.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
That was my daughter’s reaction to my first draft of the opening chapters. She’s now twenty, and I relied on her for story advice. She said, “I don’t like this guy. I like this world. Keep writing this, but I don’t like him.” I thought, “Okay, you’re right,” and revised to make him likable without losing the needed flaws.
Laurie Christine:
It’s a fun challenge. What is one thing you want boys to take away from this series?
Carolyn Leiloglou:
Being a protector. That’s something young men can grow into—a role God has given them. Learn to do it selflessly, without drawing attention to yourself, and with sacrificial love. It can be simple and practical. My son will sit in the middle seat on a plane so I don’t have to. Little acts of protection like that matter.
Laurie Christine:
Being a protector and self-sacrificing isn’t weakness—it’s strength. You’re using your strength for good, to help people. I love that.
Books 2 & 3: New Viewpoint Characters and Growth
After Beneath the Swirling Sky, there are two more books in the series. Give us a quick overview. Between Flowers and Bones is book two, and newly released Beyond the Far Horizon is now available wherever books are sold.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
The viewpoint character switches in each book. Between Flowers and Bones is from Georgia’s perspective—Vincent’s cousin. She was a lot of fun to write: spunky and homeschooled, which my kids appreciated seeing on the page. She struggles less with jealousy and more with feelings of inadequacy—comparing her gift to Vincent’s and the attention he’s getting. She’s been an only child and hasn’t had to deal with that before. That’s her journey.
For book three, I tried to keep the viewpoint character a secret for a while, but it’s on the cover now: it’s Ravi. He started out on the other side, so he’s a new ally. People are still unsure of him, and he’s unsure if he wants to be there. He’s on a journey to find where he belongs. He’s been an outsider this whole time. I think readers will really love this third book. I’ve gotten great feedback. I hope people dive in and read the series all the way through.
Laurie Christine:
I haven’t read the third book yet, but I’m excited to read it with my kids. After we finished book two, we tried to guess the viewpoint character for the third book. I said, “I think it’s going to be Ravi.” They said, “No, I don’t think so.” I said, “I think it is!” That’s a slight spoiler if you’ve only read the first book, since Ravi is in many ways an antagonist—so parents, don’t tell your kids if you want the surprise.
You can find the books on carolynleiloglou.com.
Laurie Christine:
Carolyn, thank you so much for joining us today on the Sword and Story podcast.
Carolyn Leiloglou:
Thank you so much for having me.
FAVORITES FROM THE FRONTLINES
Blake’s favorite book series is The Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. McAllister.
