In the Valley of Hope

Charlie couldn’t understand it. No one could. He was the only one of Bill Polk’s five children who was hated and abused. Forced to leave home with only the clothes on his back and an extraordinary (some said “supernatural”) gift, Charlie sets out on a quest for hope, acceptance, and love. He is determined to shed the curse of his father’s bad reputation and to discover why he was so severely mistreated. Along the way he is reunited with three childhood friends: Frank Wissler III, from the wealthiest and most influential family in the Valley; Priscilla Miller, a beautiful and mischievous farm girl; and Mable Shown, an attractive but simple girl of faith. When Charlie rejects Priscilla’s romantic intentions but instead proposes to Mable, Priscilla frames Charlie and the resulting scandal causes him to lose everything. Even Mable delays his betrothal request, awaiting a sign from God. Ultimately he does succeed, discovers the surprising reason for his father’s hatred and ascends to the most prestigious farming job in the Valley, which can only be explained by the remarkable faith of his beloved Mable.

In the Valley of Hope -- is set in the early twentieth Century, from 1907 to 1919, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The story chronicles the stark contrast between the haves and have-nots, from the aristocratic Wissler family of Strathmore to the middle and low-income families represented by the Millers, Showns, and Polks. The story is inspired by actual events and my grandmother’s love letters that were stored in a keepsake chocolate box.