These six short stories portray a family's experiences of the Christmas season during the Great Depression on the plains of the two Dakotas. Stories of blizzards, family conflicts, small town life, and the pains of growing up in a large family enlarge the meanings of the Christmas season. Bruce witnesses a major setback at the local newspaper that teaches him about becoming a printer. A search for the perfect Christmas tree sends him and his brother Rich into a a blizzard. He believes he actually sees Santa Clause and his reindeer flying over North Dakota. Jealousy colors one of his holidays. World War II changes everything when he turns sixteen.