Plot Summary

The Kamp family is struggling to get by in the midst of the Depression, especially after Mrs. Kamp's untimely death. With her mother gone and her father overwhelmed by doctor bills as her brother battles polio. little Ruth expects another Christmas without gifts or festivities. But when her father brings home one dollar in change and lets the children use it to buy special gifts for each other, the family discovers that money isn't what fills Christmas with joy, love, and miracles.