The touching prequel to the bestselling novel A Dog Named Christmas   The sleeper hit of 2008, A Dog Named Christmas became a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie a year later, seen by more than twelve million people in the United States alone. Now, in Christmas with Tucker, Greg Kincaid brings back one of that book’s most endearing characters, sharing the moving story of George, a young boy dealing with the loss of his father, and the dog that comes into his life to offer him hope and a touch of courage. It is the winter of 1962, and Kansas is hit with one of the worst blizzards in its history. It is during this cruel season that twelve-year-old George is called upon to endure more than even most grown men could withstand—the death of his father and the upkeep of the family farm that is his legacy. When his mother and sisters leave for Minnesota, George has only his grandparents and the companionship of Tucker, an Irish setter, to help him persevere through these most difficult challenges. Can he find the strength to walk the road that leads to healing, finding his true self and ultimately becoming a man? A coming-of-age story for readers of all ages, Christmas with Tucker is a classic Christmas story about a young man’s love for his dog, his family, and his farm. “With Christmas With Tucker, Greg Kincaid has written a solid, earnest holiday tale about hard work, family and the importance of a good dog.” – Washington Post “In this prequel to A Dog Named Christmas , Kincaid spins an immensely satisfying coming-of-age tale about how 12-year-old George McCray, mourning his father’s recent death from a tractor accident, finds solace in befriending a neglected Irish setter named Tucker…Although I am well aware that Christmas titles flood bookstores each December 1, I also know that Christmas with Tucker , along with the author’s earlier novel, should rise above the literary tinsel and glitz to become a holiday classic. “ – Best Friends "This simple but strong story celebrates the beauty of everyday things, the power of love and humility, the singular grace that is a good dog, and the mysterious ability of that grace to transform the human heart. A perfect Christmas read." – Dean Koontz “I don’t own a dog – but after reading this book, I have an irresistible urge to go out and get one. Christmas with Tucker is simply that poignant and lovely.” – A. J. Jacobs   "It was the bleakest of Christmas seasons that year: blizzards followed by ice paralyzed the entire county. No one would have blamed the thirteen-year-old boy for taking the easy way out, or expected the aged grandfather to single-handedly pull off a miracle. Stirred into author Greg Kincaid's wondrous crucible are an empathetic grandmother, a sorrowing mother, a shy earliteen girl, a sodden alcoholic neighbor–oh yes, and an Irish setter named Tucker, with a heart filled with love for all of them. Taken all together: a Christmas story for the ages!" – Joseph Wheeler, Editor/Compiler of the bestselling Christmas in My Heart story anthologies GREG KINCAID lives on a farm in eastern Kansas with his wife, two cats, and two dogs, including Rudy, adopted from a local shelter. When not writing, he is a practicing lawyer and pet-adoption advocate. Chapter 1 Most barns double as family museums. The vertical beams are riddled with the nails and hooks that hold history. Pieces of harness, rusted tools, license plates from old trucks, or a calendar from a bygone era--they all tell a story. It is the task of the curator to pick the right exhibits, to find the single pieces that sum up the entirety of a people, a place, or a time long past. From the window of our old wooden barn, I could see my son Todd throwing the ball to our dog, a mature yellow lab he'd named Christmas. The engines of both his truck and my wife's car were warming. Todd's breath was condensing in the cold winter air. We were all preparing for another day's work. For myself, I had an unusual task, one that I had embarked on nearly fifty years ago. It was time to finish it. I lifted Tucker's leather collar off a hook, the letters of his name faded but still visible. At six o'clock, one of our family's most important museum patrons was scheduled to visit. I wanted to put together that one exhibit that would make the past clear, not just for me but for her, too. To do so, I had to go back to a cold wintery place where I had been reluctant to travel. If I was to assume the curator's role, I had no choice. Everyone has a winter like that one. A place and time that changes us forever. A place and time when the wind blew so cold that the memories still hurt. It was now time to walk straight through that hurt and excavate an important piece of my life. For her, I would do this work. The sound of gravel crunched in the driveway as Todd and Mary Ann each pulled out, leaving me alone on our farm. I would have the entire day to focus on my project. It seemed that I had been way too busy the