All historical errors are mine alone, but I was fortunate enough to discuss much of this history with experts, as well as with those who had lived through this dark time. I was privileged to travel through France with Pierre-Jérôme Biscarat, historian and educational coordinator of Yahad-In Unum who has researched Maison d’Izieu and the fate of Jewish children in France for the past seventeen years. I am so grateful to have had his insights as a French citizen, a historian, and a man of compassion. Thank you to Adrien Allier, in charge of development of the Mémorial National de la Prison de Montluc, for guiding me through the prison and its history.

Gratitude to Susan Rubin Suleiman, scholar and writer, the C. Douglas Dillon Research Professor of the Civilization of France and Research Professor of Comparative Literature, Harvard University, for her friendship, her careful reading of the manuscript, and her invaluable comments.

Through Facing History and Ourselves, an organization dedicated to the education and remembrance of the Holocaust and all genocides with the hope of confronting hate in the future, I was introduced to many child survivors, now in their eighties and nineties, who generously shared their stories. Some had not spoken in detail about their childhood circumstances before but now wished to speak, some spoke often, especially to young students, and some had written valuable memoirs. I am so grateful to all who raised their voices. I am in awe of your courage.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Gossels family: filmmaker Lisa Gossels; artist and writer Nancy Gossels; and most especially to Peter Gossels, a child survivor and an extraordinary man who spoke to me at length about his childhood in France. I’m grateful to the many survivors who were so generous in sharing their stories with me, including Sarah Miller, for her kindness and insights, and Eveline Weyl in Boston and her family in France, Henri and Claudine Moos, for sharing their histories. Thank you to Christian de Monbrison for traveling back in time with me to Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and for speaking so eloquently about a truly amazing life. Thank you to everyone at Maison d’Izieu and to the generous current residents of Saint-Julien-de-Coppel for allowing me to visit and greeting me with such warmth and generosity, and to everyone who was so gracious and welcoming at the Centre Culturel Jules Isaac in Clermont-Ferrand. Thank you also to my guide who was rebuilding the Château de Chabannes and took the time to open every door.

To my dear and beloved friends, thanks will never be enough. To Pamela Painter, writer and Professor at Emerson College for her early reading of the manuscript and her thoughtful comments. To Laura Zigman for always being willing to run away to write. To Diane Ackerman for sharing fictional worlds by the sea. To Professor Sue Standing, for her friendship and devotion to literature.