In 1847, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, fifteen-year-old Daniel McDavid, the oldest child of Irish immigrants, finds himself in dire circumstances; orphaned, stripped of his family home, separated from the joy of his little sisters, and on his own. Taken in by a German family, Daniel is taught a new meaning for family and security, while growing in strength, confidence and wisdom. With Christian and Anna Kline and their children folding Daniel into the arms of their family and giving him a home, Daniel comes to a deep faith in Jesus, while learning to be a man. While Daniel is with the Kline's he receives few letters from his sisters in Madison, Indiana. When he receives word of their precarious living conditions, Daniel sets out through the rough landscape of Indiana on a mission to fetch the girls home to his adopted family in La Grange.
Heading south on a white mule in the late fall of 1848, facing, hunger, illness and misfortune, he is haunted by nightmares, chased by harsh weather, and threatened by wolves. Along the way, he is befriended by a mysterious horse, reminiscent of the Gypsy horses of Ireland on which his grandfather had ruled the gypsies on the emerald isle. Together, horse and young man head south against worsening odds. With faith in his mission, he perseveres with hope of bringing joy to his sisters' lives, much the same way Christ lit up a world of darkness when he came to earth on Christmas. If Daniel rescues them, he can get them home by Christmas. He will leave his own comfort, warmth, and the arms of a loving family to do whatever it takes to show them the love of God for them and to give them a new home.
