"Christmas is only three weeks away, and Claire Nicol struggles to complete the gifts she is making. Her old friend Brother Beck is beginning to act somewhat odd, insisting that she spend almost every free moment helping him prepare a wagon for the journey west. Claire tries to help her old friend all she can, but when the old man refuses an invitation to Christmas dinner, she begins to worry. Is it possible that Brother Beck has truly lost his mind and is planning to journey into the wilderness alone? Or is Brother Beck acutely sane?" [Amazon summary]