First published 1972
Armand lives alone under a bridge in Paris, content with his solitary life as a hobo. He wants nothing to do with children or families. But when he discovers that three young children and their mother have taken shelter under his bridge, his carefully ordered world turns upside down. The Calcet family has nowhere else to go. Suzy, Paul, and little Evelyne need warmth, food, and safety that their mother Miriam struggles to provide. Armand tries to ignore them, but the children slowly work their way into his gruff heart. As winter deepens, he faces a choice between his cherished independence and helping this desperate family survive. The story follows Armand as he wrestles with unexpected feelings of responsibility and care, discovering that sometimes the families we choose matter as much as the ones we're born into.
Genres: fiction, family, historical-fiction, social
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Paris
Period: 20th-century
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