Hidden on the Mountain:
Stories of Children Sheltered from the Nazis in Le Chambon
by Deborah Durland DeSaix and Karen Gray Ruelle.

Imagine having to leave your home suddenly, with only one small suitcase, and no more. Imagine being told that you can’t say goodbye to your friends, and that you have to leave behind your pets and all of your treasured possessions. Imagine walking out of your home, not knowing if you’ll ever see it again.

Now imagine that your parents are more frightened than you’ve ever seen them before. You’ve seen terrible things, and you’re frightened, too. Imagine that your parents are powerless to protect you, or even themselves.

Maybe you and your family have to board a train along with huge crowds of other people, and travel far away. Or maybe your family has been torn from you and you are all alone. You have no idea where to go or what will happen next.

Many children in Europe had just these experiences during the second World War. Many of them died. But some children were lucky, and found a safe place to hide while the war raged on around them. Several thousand children were sheltered in the little village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and the surrounding area, in southern France. In this book, we tell the true stories of some of these children. Each one came there on a different path from a different place. Each one found a safe haven among the inhabitants of the plateau. Each one has a different story.

For more about the book, click on EXCERPTS