This story is a true one about an orphanage—Refuge des Petits—in France during World War II. Here, a privileged American man struggled to establish a refuge for desperate children. This shelter provided needy, displaced youngsters with a worthy place in the world—while he found his own.

The Refuge would flourish. It played a leading role in what became known as the Children's Front. This book is full of inspiring stories of resilience, generosity, and hope from the staff and youngsters who made the Refuge their home in the early 1940s and later.