The Greatest Gift

A Great Depression-era novel about how far we sometimes have to walk to find authentic love, unwavering hope, and the future we always dreamed of.

Sixteen-year-old Amanda Mason is thrilled to go on her first date, but her experience turns out to be anything but joyful. Having to flee suddenly from a dangerous situation, she hides in the grocery store where she has worked part time for Mr. C. H. Connor.

Now accosted by her family and loved ones, and without anyone to support her, Amanda turns to Connor for help. Their subsequent marriage-in name only, a benevolent act by someone willing to help-gives Amanda the space she needs to find herself. But her story is only beginning, and true romance may be coming on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Connor has begun to accumulate bank shares with the help of some sharp legal work by his attorneys, giving him the nest egg he needs to help financially struggling members of his community. Will he be able to oust the president of the bank and turn things around in his town before the president catches on.

This passionate novel by author Gertrude Mattingly Banks is a testament to hope in troubled seasons of life, featuring romance, drama, and hardship during one of the most trying eras of American history.