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. "All wars have literally thousands of amazing human stories of those caught in the crossfire of conflict. Marty Parkes brilliantly captures one of those amazing stories. His recounting brings us back to a time when whole nations were uprooted and innocents often paid the price. As that generation passes and memories fade, it is imperative that these stories be captured and passed on. Parkes has done just that." Mark Lombardi, PhD, President of Maryville University of St. Louis and Professor of Political Science "The Children's Front is a welcome antidote to big-picture histories full of posturing statesmen and strutting generals. Marty Parkes' World War II tale of an orphanage in Vichy France -- and of the natty Connecticut man who kept the kids fed, clothed, and loved while moonlighting as an OSS intelligence officer -- is history writ small but well. Can a screen version be far behind?" John Garrity, author of Ancestral Links and Tiger 2.0: The Best of John Garrity "In The Children's Front, Marty Parkes makes a complex historical moment accessible through the story of an early 20th century expatriate, Seymour Houghton, and his dedication to refugee children and orphans in World War II France. Houghton acted on behalf of displaced children much as Edith Wharton did for World War I refugee women, even establishing an orphanage in the same town where Wharton lived: Hyeres. Meticulously researched yet compellingly personal, The Children's Front illuminates a previously under appreciated wartime narrative." Meredith Goldsmith, Ph.D., Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer and Professor of English, Ursinus College