In this family Christmas tale, six-year-old Ashel is intrigued with a cowboy who rides into town. He quickly makes friends with the cowboy and Ashel's mother allows him to ride with the cowboy to round up cattle. In an effort to make Ashel's Christmas special, the cowboy works on a project late into the night on Christmas Eve. The cowboy finally falls asleep and dreams about that first Christmas in Bethlehem. He comes to the realization that "good tidings of great joy" are meant for all people in a very personal way. Set in the Deep South in the 1930's, this book is filled with cowboy action and tenderness.