The Heirloom: One Family's Courageous Sacrifice Sparks Hope in the Midst of Despair Book

It was 1929 and the Great Depression had closed bank doors and forced people out of work—effectively paralyzing the country. And the tiny mountain town of Spruce Hollow, North Carolina, didn't escape its crippling grip. The Depression had reached over the mountains and grasped the simple lives of those tucked into the rocky ridges. As Pastor David Allen looked over his flock he wondered how anyone with holes in their shoes and no food to put on the table could be thankful during this holiday season. The worst part was that neither he nor his wife, Sarah, could do anything for the people of Spruce Hollow. Or could they? This inspiring story tells of a pastor who sold his family's most precious possession—an antique Bible—to buy shoes for the children in his congregation. But when things grew worse by the next Christmas, David sunk into despair. There was nothing more he could do. No way he could help. And there was seemingly nowhere to turn for encouragement. But Pastor Allen had no concept of how God would use the heirloom he had courageously given up. In the years that followed, letters appeared addressed to the man listed in the front of the Bible. Each letter became a pillar of hope in their dark world.