The Children by Edith Wharton is a novel that explores complex social and moral themes within the context of a post-World War I Europe. The story is centered around Martin Boyne, a middle-aged engineer, who is engaged to be married to Rose Sellars, a woman he has loved for many years. However, his life takes an unexpected turn during a trip to Switzerland. While in Switzerland, Boyne encounters a group of seven children, the Wheater family, who are traveling alone. The children, ranging from a baby to a teenager, are from various failed marriages of an American heiress and an international businessman. They are charming, precocious, and somewhat neglected, and Boyne quickly becomes entangled in their lives.