In an America devoid of oil, society has reverted by centuries. Travel, if not by horse and buggy, is virtually impossible and extremely dangerous. Union Grove, New York is prosperous, but only marginally so. Rumors of a government surviving are just that: rumors. Consequently, the people of Union Grove fend for themselves.

"Following the catastrophes of the twenty-first century--the pandemics, the environmental disaster, the end of oil, the ensuing chaos--people are doing whatever they can to get by and pursuing a simpler and sometimes happier existence. In little Union Grove, the townspeople are preparing for Christmas. Without the consumerist shopping frenzy that dogged the holidays of the previous age, the season has become a time to focus on family and loved ones....