The Family Under the Bridge is a beloved novel for children written by Natalie Savage Carlson and published in 1958. It tells the story of an old Parisian tramp named Armand whose gruff exterior hides a warm and caring personality. To his surprise Armand is befriended by the children who are now living under the bridge with their mother. Armand realizes he has found himself a ready-made family and he loves them very much, vowing to find them a better home than under a bridge. The little family's adventures take them all around Paris and introduce them to a colorful array of people - including Santa Claus - and in the end Armand finds a job and provides a home for the family he never knew he wanted but now wouldn't live without.
Like Natalie Savage Carlson's other books, this one takes place against a traditional French background that is always very authentic. Although she has spent some time living in France, the author grew up on a farm in Maryland and moved with her family to California at the age of eleven. She is the author of the very popular Orpheline books but this is her most critically acclaimed, and was the recipient of Newberry Honor Book status.
