Ted Carter grew up along the southern New England coast, spending his formative years in three historic towns of Massachusetts and Rhode Island during one of the most transformative periods of the twentieth century. The events of World War II and the Korean War shaped not only the nation but also his boyhood-a time of shared sacrifice, sweeping change, and simple daily life that laid the foundation for his lifelong curiosity about history, travel, and the wider world. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in history, Ted earned a law degree from Boston University and a master's degree in comparative and international law from Southern Methodist University. He went on to serve a distinguished three-decade career in the U.S. Foreign Service with the Agency for International Development, working in more than fifty countries during the Cold War era. Following his government service, Ted continued his international work as a consultant for nearly fifteen years, taking on projects that brought him and his wife, Ginny, to every corner of the globe. Three Towns: A Reminiscence is his deeply personal return to the places and times that shaped his early years-a vivid portrait of American life during two wars, told through the eyes of a boy coming of age in a country finding its place in a changing world.