On Christmas Eve 1883, family and friends gather at Fort Davis, Texas. Colonel Grierson has brought gifts for the children, especially Centennia. For her he has brought a wooden nutcracker dressed as a Texas cavalry soldier! Her brother is jealous and after a brief tussle, the nutcracker is broken. In this Texas-themed retelling of the classic Nutcracker story, historical details blend with fiction, and magic warps reality when the clock strikes midnight.
At each chime of the clock, the goose-feather tree grows until it overshadows the room, transporting the young girl and the broken nutcracker to an enchanted realm. There the handsome young cavalry soldier battles the Rattlesnake King, and the Bluebonnet Fairy invites Centennia and her companion to a fabulous celebration. Dancing denizens of the Land of the Wildflowers entertain them before the nutcracker soldier tucks her safely under a cozy quilt. An author's note gives a bit of historical context to this charming version of a familiar holiday tale.