{"product_id":"the-inherited-debt-a-novel-the-cornerstone-story-collection-high-school-cornerstone-academics","title":"The Inherited Debt","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Cornerstone Story Collection — High School\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA standalone novel for older readers (grades 11–12).\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e“He did not steal the cloak. He is only wearing it. But let him stand in the road in it while the rightful owner goes shivering past…”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen his father dies, seventeen-year-old Gideon Hale inherits the land, the bank, and a whole valley's respect for a careful, honest man. Then he learns what that carefulness was built on: a theft, buried fourteen years, that made the Hale fortune out of another family's ruin. No court will touch it. No one living would blame him for letting it lie. But a blind old judge, teaching him Cicero by lamplight, has already named the only question that matters — and answering it will cost Gideon the land, the money, and the girl he loves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA grave, unforgettable novel of inheritance, conscience, and the true cost of doing right. Set in the farm country of post-war America, it is literature for the mature high-school reader — substantial, morally serious, and written to be discussed. Character formation without a trace of preaching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoose your format:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback (6 x 9 in, printed and shipped) or EPUB ebook (instant digital download).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cornerstone Academics","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50584124162277,"sku":"9798951391520","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EPUB (ebook)","offer_id":50584124195045,"sku":null,"price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0787\/3845\/6805\/files\/ChatGPTImageJul22_2026_04_19_34PM.png?v=1784766112","url":"https:\/\/cornerstoneacademics.co\/products\/the-inherited-debt-a-novel-the-cornerstone-story-collection-high-school-cornerstone-academics","provider":"Cornerstone Academics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}